Moonlight Shadow 4
by FirstCenturyBC
Summary: A continuation of the CJ relationship starting straight after episode 3. Joey prepares to tell Brett about Charlie. Will she get that job Alf talked about? What will the residents think of their relationship? Will Charlie be able to handle an admirer?
1. Chapter 1

**MOONLIGHT SHADOW 4**

Thank you again for all your very kind comments and emails about episodes 1, 2 & 3 of this story. I am really pleased that you have enjoyed them. Knowing that they've put a smile on your faces makes writing them totally worthwhile. If only Home & Away could have realised the potential they had for a great relationship between these two characters. It's a damn shame! I do hope Kate Bell decides to come back soon. I'm guessing she will do ... eventually.

Moonlight Shadow 4 picks up exactly where episode 3 finished – the day after Charlie's birthday. In this episode, Joey plans to tell Brett about her relationship with Charlie. At the same time, good things start to happen for her - so she can begin to settle into living her life in Summer Bay and be close to the woman she loves. What will the residents think of their relationship. And will Charlie be able to cope with an admirer? All this and more to come in the upcoming chapters!

Chapter 1

"JOEY? IS THAT YOU?" The voice was loud, and the words were slurred.

Joey sighed. She knew this was going to be a bad day at the Collins household. It was just before midday and Brett was home – and he was drunk already. She followed the sounds of her brother muttering to himself, leading her to the living room where she found him slumped on the sofa.

"THERE YOU ARE! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SINCE YESTERDAY?"

"Since when have you ever been interested in anything I do, Brett?"

"I was ...," he hiccuped then began again, "... I was ... worried about you, sis."

Joey didn't believe him. Sometimes alcohol gave Brett delusions of being a caring brother, especially when he sat alone in a stupor, thinking about his early family life with Joey and their mum and dad. It would make him teary, and for a few moments he would remember how much he once cared for her – before she had told him of her attraction to other women. Sadly, the feelings were always short-lived and he soon returned to his normal, brutish self.

There was no way she was going to tell him about Charlie today. Not only would he probably not remember anything about it the next day, but his emotions always became intensified when whiskey entered the picture – and the room reeked of it. She was worried he might turn nasty.

"I'm going to my room. You want anything? A sandwich? A strong coffee?" she asked.

"_Rehab_?" she muttered under her breath.

"More ice," he commanded – not asked. They were definitely of a different ilk.

Joey set her bag in her room and went to the kitchen. She got Brett some more ice for his whiskey, putting in plenty of cubes to water it down as much as possible. She also made him a sandwich and set it in front of him on the coffee table, hoping that if it sat looking at him long enough, he would be tempted to eat it. It would absorb some of the alcohol and the sooner that happened, the better – as far as Joey was concerned.

She left her brother, contented in the living room and went back to her room to unpack her things. Her mind wandered and she thought about Charlie. Just thinking about her smile made her feel better and she needed that. Brett had yet again managed to bring her down with one, very short conversation. It was a real talent of his.

She slumped onto her bed and put her feet up, resting her head back against the headboard and pulling her knees up tight to her chest. Brett shouted from the other room but she couldn't make out what he was saying. She strained to listen to him. It soon became obvious that he was shouting at someone or something on TV. Thankfully it wasn't her he was angry at. She lifted her headphones from the bedside cabinet and switched on some music to drown him out. She lay her head back and looked up at the ceiling. _I need to get out of here_, she thought.

--------x--------

It was mid-afternoon and Charlie was putting the finishing touches to her uniform. She had strung the heavy utility belt around her waist, buckled it, then tied her hair back. Ruby was at school and Leah was out with VJ. She felt a little bit lonely. She had been so used lately to having Joey within inches of her most of the time, and she was missing her already. They had parted not more than an hour ago. They'd get to see one another later that night, she hoped. Her shift finished at 9 o'clock and if need be they could go for a drive somewhere for a few hours. The thought made her smile as she locked up the house and left for work.

--------x--------

"Hey love ... I've been looking for you these past few days," greeted Alf when he saw Joey enter the Surf Club.

"Hi Alf ... sorry I was away all day yesterday."

"Oh ... doing anything nice?"

Joey could feel herself beginning to blush as she thought about Charlie's birthday. She quickly came to the conclusion that the word 'nice' was a huge understatement.

"Ehh ... just ... y'know ... girly stuff. Sorry ... I should have given you my number last time we spoke."

"Never mind, love ... you're here now. I've got good news for ya. We're all set to start the tours next week if ya feel you're ready."

Joey's jaw dropped wide open, her expression quickly turning into a huge grin. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah ... I've even got a few customers lined up already."

Joey could feel herself becoming nervous and excited at the same time. She'd never been a guide before and she wasn't sure she was up to the challenge, but she was going to give it her best shot.

"Alf ... that's fantastic!"

"I knew you'd be pleased, love. We just need to have a sit down ... sort out what you're going to include in yer talk. It doesn't have to be too in-depth ... just the main points really. I've brought a few books for you to take a look at ... to give you some help." He reached under the counter and produced anything but a few books – they were piled high and they thumped loudly as he set them on top of the bar.

_Jeez ... that's more than a few_, thought Joey. She tried her best not to frown at the thought of having to read through all of them in one week.

She faked a smiled. "I'll take them home with me today," she said as Alf went into the store room. "_I'll just go get a wheel barrow ... or something_," she muttered under her breath, furrowing her brow and shaking her head as she wondered how she would get them home. She'd never be able to carry them all!

Alf came out carrying two more books. He set them atop the pile. "There you go ... that's all you'll need."

Joey's smile widened and became even more false. _All_? Inside she was beginning to fret. She had never really enjoyed history at school and now it was going to be part of her job. She figured that maybe this would be different because it was all about local history, and not the boring stuff she had been made to learn at high school about Australian military history.

"I'll take some now, Alf ... and come back for more later."

Alf nodded in agreement. Joey reckoned she'd need to make several trips back and forth.

"If you can come back tomorrow afternoon ... we can talk about it ... and discuss wages too ... okay love?"

"No problem," said Joey. "I'll take some time to read over these later and tomorrow before I come see you. And I'll jot down a few ideas."

"Brilliant. See you then!"

Joey grabbed as many books as she could carry from the pile and made her way towards the exit, strugling to find a free hand to open the door. Alf smiled as he watched her go. He knew she was just the right person for the job.

--------x--------

Charlie had spent most of the afternoon following up a call the station had received from a member of the public. Someone had reported seeing a woman who appeared to be hanging around a residential area acting suspiciously. The caller had said she was dressed in camouflage-type oudoor wear and had been using binoculars and taking down sketches or notes. They thought she was possibly scouting the area for professional burglars, looking for alarm systems or weaknesses in home security. When Charlie and her colleague had arrived, the woman was nowhere to be seen. It had been a waste of an afternoon, in her opinion.

She leaned back against the bonnet of the car, waiting for Constable Farnsworth to return with some much-needed coffee. She took her phone from her pocket and began to write a text message.

_"Can u meet me later? We can go for a drive._

_Missing you – C xxx'_

She searched for Joey's contact on her phone and pressed 'SEND.'

--------x--------

Joey had just opened the front door when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It played the sound she had especially chosen to tell her that Charlie was sending her a message, the sound of a harp being strummed. She liked that sound.

She walked past the living room, spotting Brett unconscious and still on the sofa, and entered her bedroom, setting the books down on her bed. She opened the message to read it, smiling as she imagined Charlie saying aloud the words she had sent to her. She wrote a reply ...

_"Txt me when u r ready and I'll be waiting_

_outside my house. I have some good news._

_Will tell u about it later – J xxx'_

She pressed 'SEND' and sat down on her bed, glancing over the titles of the books she would have to study for the foreseeable future. 'Summer Bay – A History,' was the title of one. 'Myths and Legends of New South Wales,' was the heading on another – and it had a sketch of a headless horseman on the front. _Every bloody town has a headless horseman legend_, thought Joey. _I'm going to have to find something more original than that ... otherwise the tourists will be so bored with me they'll want to jump ship and take their chances with the sharks._

She picked up the books and put them on top of a table near her bed, then made her way back to the Surf Club to pick up some more.

--------x--------

It was 8:55 p.m. Charlie was five minutes from the end of her shift and she was so pleased to be going home. The day had not been stressful, or particularly eventful, but she was finally beginning to feel the need for sleep catching up with her after all that had happened the previous day – and they hadn't managed to get much sleep that night. She wondered what news Joey had for her. When she read the text message her first thought was that she had told Brett about them, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Had it really been the case, Joey's news would not have been at all good. Besides, World War III hadn't broken out in Summer Bay, so he must still be unaware.

She put on her jacket and tidied her desk to leave. When she got to her car, she took out her phone and made a call.

"Hi," said Joey tenderly.

Charlie's response was short and sweet. "I'll pick you up in half an hour."

"Wow you're keen ... not even a hello? ... or how are you? ... just straight down to business, eh?"

Charlie giggled.

"Okay," said Joey, "I'll be waiting." They hung up.

Charlie slid into the drivers seat and started the engine. She didn't have much time to get home and change her clothes – she'd have to hurry.

--------x--------

The car pulled up a few doors down from Joey's home. Joey was waiting outside for her, looking so pretty in her yellow blouse and black jeans. Her hair was loose and flowing as the breeze caught it. Charlie thought she looked beautiful.

Joey opened the passenger door and peered inside. Charlie was dressed in a tight-fitting white t-shirt and jeans. They accentuated her figure perfectly and Joey could feel her own heart beat faster just looking at her. She climbed in and closed the door.

"You look amazing," said Joey.

Charlie blinked slowly and smiled. "So do you. Ready to go?"

Joey smiled back at her. "Yes ... where do you want to go?"

Charlie looked deep into her eyes, beginning to feel the desire in herself rising. Joey caught a glimpse of wild Charlie for a few moments and she realised she was going to be taken somewhere very, very secluded.

"I've been thinking about that one all day," Charlie replied, "I'll find somewhere."

Joey smiled mischievously and raised an eyebrow. It was going to be another one of those nights!

To be continued ...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The car pulled into the forest park. Charlie had been there on duty a few days earlier, following up a report of some illegal campers who allegedly started a fire too close to trees. She had noticed a lane she could drive along that would shut them away from the rest of the world, and surround them only by evergreens and small, fluffy, white-tailed, long-eared, buck-toothed mammals who were probably doing the same thing that they were about to do!

She drove a few hundred feet down along the lane and pulled on the hand brake. She switched off the headlights. Only the tiny inside light illuminated them. Everywhere they looked they saw nothing but pitch black. The inside light slowly faded until they were in complete darkness.

"Well ... this is ... umm ... a bit creepy," said Joey a little nervously.

Charlie looked at her but couldn't see her well enough to figure out if she was joking or serious. She giggled nervously. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"You're not going to propose to me then turn into a werewolf are you ... like Michael Jackson did in Thriller?"

Charlie laughed. "Definitely not! I don't DO facial hair ... and I don't grab my crotch when I dance either."

Joey laughed out loud. "Pity ... I'd really like to see that." Suddenly she came up with an idea. She took her phone from her pocket and switched on the camera light, setting it on the dashboard. They could now see one another a little bit better. It was just the right amount of light – not too bright.

They edged closer until their lips brushed against each other and they kissed tenderly. As their kiss deepened, Charlie reached between them and searched for a pair of side-by-side switches. She found them. Their back rests automatically began to recline with a low frequency whirring noise.

Joey could feel her heart beating faster, and she pulled Charlie towards her, kissing her more passionately. Charlie responded, extending her hand and unbuttoning Joey's blouse as fast as she could. She fumbled with the buttons. It was very dark. Their desire grew with each second that passed. They had not made love in Charlie's car before so this was very new to them – and exciting.

Their back rests were now fully reclined. Joey pulled Charlie all the way across to her side of the car and lay atop her, kissing her all along her neck with such fervour that Charlie had not felt before. It aroused her. She responded by unbuttoning Joey's jeans and plunging her hand down the inside of Joey's tiny briefs. She needed to touch her there - she couldn't wait any longer. She needed to hear her express her arousal.

Joey gasped. Charlie's fingertips felt so good against her and she began to vocalise her pleasure loudly. She wanted to reciprocate but could do nothing except slide her hips back and forth in synchrony with Charlie's movements. The sensation was incredible. She arched her back and threw her head backwards involuntarily – almost bumping it on the roof above.

Charlie could barely see Joey's face. Her body was in silhouette above her, writhing. She thought it was an amazing image to behold and she was sure she would remember it for a long time to come. Joey leaned in, kissing her deeply, their tongues delving into one another – tasting, licking. She felt Joey breathing hard against her as the sound resonated in her own mouth, she felt her teeth brushing gently against her lips. She increased her motions, sending Joey even higher. By now her jeans had loosened and were beginning to slip down, exposing her buttocks slightly. Charlie reached her other hand around and slipped it inside, grabbing the soft flesh of Joey's behind between her fingers. She squeezed harder, her nails digging in firmly. Joey's arousal heightened even more and she fast approached the moment of release. Her entire body felt red hot and burning as the sensations intensified between her legs. She lunged her hips forward with one huge thrust as she reached climax, crying out as the moment arrived. The pulsations deep within her were so powerful that they made her a little dizzy and she had to steady herself.

She gazed down at Charlie. Her own body blocked out the light and she couldn't see her very well, but knew she was down there somewhere beneath her! She felt the urge to kiss her and followed the sound of her breathing to find her lips in the darkness. Their mouths collided hungrily. Joey was ready to please her lover.

She steadied herself on one arm and slid the other downwards, searching for the waistband of Charlie's jeans. She found it and unbuttoned them, sliding the zipper as far down as she could. She then grabbed at the hem of Charlie's t-shirt and pulled it upwards. Charlie raised herself up a little to assist – but it wasn't much help at all. It became stuck around her chest. Joey slipped her arms underneath Charlie's back and slid her further upwards, until her head rested on the back seat. Her body lay, arched backwards up over the reclined back rest. Joey moved her attentions to Charlie's jeans, pulling on them with all her strength. She had more space to work now – but even that didn't help. They wouldn't move very far. She vented her frustration aloud.

Charlie laughed. "Having difficulties?"

"Charlie ... you're wearing ... like ... the tightest jeans and t-shirt _EVER_ ... in a car. How much more awkward can this get?"

Charlie burst into laughter. Joey giggled with her. She was determined not to let the clothing get one up on her and she prepared herself for a second attempt. She grabbed Charlie's jeans, twisting the belt loops around her fingers and pulling again with every ounce of strength she could find. This time they came sliding down fast, along with her briefs, sending Joey flying backwards against the dashboard. '_Owww_!' she cried.

She tried to ignore the pain she felt in her back and lunged forward to finish exacting her revenge on the stubborn t-shirt. Grabbing it by the sides, she pulled upwards hard and fast! It came off faster than either had imagined, making Charlie disoriented for a few moments. Her arms flailed and she hit her elbow hard against the glass window.

"Owww!" she exclaimed, quickly rubbing the damaged area with her other hand.

Joey giggled. "Aww sweetie ... lemme kiss it better," she sympathised.

Charlie held out her arm and Joey bombarded her elbow with little, soothing kisses. It made Charlie smile.

Joey trailed kisses from Charlie's soon-to-be-bruised elbow all the way up to her shoulder – then she slipped her fingers underneath her bra strap, tugging it gently and kissing the newly exposed flesh until the strap slid off and rested on Charlie's upper arm. She did the same with the other side, then slid one hand underneath Charlie's back to unclasp it. It came away easily and she slid it forward and off, leaving Charlie's breasts exposed. Joey gazed down at them, moving herself sideways slightly to allow the light from her phone to illuminate her lover better. The sight before Joey's eyes filled her with happiness and she felt tears beginning to well in her eyes.

She leaned forward until she hovered above Charlie. Her hair cascaded downwards, tickling Charlie's neck and breasts. Their lips drew closer until they almost touched.

"_You look so beautiful,_" Joey whispered.

Charlie reached upwards and slid her fingers up along Joey's neck and through her hair, resting her fingertips on the back of her head. She pulled her closer and they kissed passionately.

Joey ran her fingers along the length of Charlie's slender torso, then she steadied herself and slid further down, kissing and licking almost every inch of her neck and shoulders. Charlie exhaled at the soft feel of Joey's lips on her. They left a wet trail on her body that felt cooler than the rest of her skin when exposed to the air around them. She loved that feeling. Joey kissed her between her breasts – a single delicate kiss, before kissing her way across to one side. She gently ran her tongue over the hardened flesh, making it even more erect. She moved her attentions to the other side and did likewise.

Charlie caressed Joey's back, occasionally scratching with her long nails. Every time she did so, Joey exhaled in pleasure.

Joey moved further downwards, kissing her tummy and caressing it with her fingertips. She slid her body lower until she knelt in the leg space of the passenger side. It was a tight fit. Charlie lay there, her legs spread out before her lover, now illuminated by the rays of soft, artificial light emanating from the camera. She raised her head to look at Joey. Her eyes were wide, her breathing was short and hollow in anticipation of what her lover was about to do to her. Wild Charlie had returned again and Joey was determined to keep her around longer this time. She could feel her own skin burning as the passion rose within her. Just looking at Charlie as she lay sprawled across the seats gave her flutters between her legs. Her heart beat faster and her own breathing became heavy - she felt her own animalistic side emerge. For a second she considered that the forest perhaps had the power and presence to bring out the carnal ancestry that lies deeply buried within us all, even if only temporarily. She felt aroused beyond anything she had ever experienced before.

She could not hold back any longer - lunging forward and delving deep with her tongue instantly. Charlie cried out in pleasure. She had never known Joey to be quite so lustful and she relished every moment. Joey slid her hands beneath Charlie's legs and lifted them upwards, placing them along her back. Charlie felt Joey's soft, warm skin against the underside of her legs, feeling her writhing beneath her as Joey intensified her actions and caressed every inch of flesh she could reach.

Charlie entered a state of utter ecstasy. Every nerve-ending in her body tingled as Joey sent waves of pleasure throughout her entire body. She writhed, and moaned softly. Her vocalizations became more coherent as she loudly breathed a long and steady string of 'yes ... yes ... yes ... ' continuously.

As she approached orgasm her volume increased even more. _ "Oh god ... oh god ... oh god ..." _She continued to repeat the words more loudly each time she uttered them, and more highly-pitched. She arched her back and punched at the seat beside her to try to control her emotions.

"_... oh god ... oh god ... oh god ... _OH GOD JOEY SOMEONE'S COMING," Charlie shrieked as she saw the headlights of a car appear a few hundred feet from them.

Joey raised her head slightly - "Well ... it's YOU ... I hope," she joked, not taking Charlie seriously at all!

"NOOOO .... THEY'RE OUTSIDE THE CAR ... SHIT," Charlie whispered loudly. She quickly rolled back over to the drivers side, kicking poor Joey on the side of the head with her flailing leg. Charlie hadn't even noticed – she was too flustered. She searched desperately to find her clothes in the dark to cover her nakedness.

Joey shook her head – she was a little dizzy. She saw the lights of a car moving ever-closer to them.

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed, and scrambled to find something, anything, to cover herself with.

They ducked down as low as they could, hoping that the passer-by was not the park warden and wishing that whoever it was would think the car was empty.

"THE LIGHT," Charlie shrieked, pointing furiously, "TURN IT OFF."

Joey grabbed her phone from the dashboard and fumbled with the buttons until she managed to switch it off. She giggled. "Charlie ... it's a human being ... not a T-Rex," she whispered loudly, comparing their predicament to the famous scene in Jurassic Park. "Their vision's not based on movement!"

Charlie laughed out loud before quickly remembering the seriousness of the situation.

"_Shhhh ... Joey this isn't the time for jokes_," she whispered as she giggled in complete contradiction with her own words. "If they're police ... I'm in BIG trouble."

"_Why_?"

Their conversation had quietened to a whisper.

"_Because .... this is against the law_!"

"_What is_?"

Was Charlie going to have to spell it out for her? "_Doing ... THIS ... in a public place! Oh god ... imagine what people would say ... a senior constable caught with her pants down in a car_ ... with another woman ... IN PUBLIC!"

Joey couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Charlie slapped her arm playfully. "_Shhhh_!" She couldn't deny seeing the funny side of it, but she didn't like the idea of being reprimanded by her superiors for such an embarrassing crime.

"_If we cover ourselves over ... they'll think the car is empty_," whispered Joey, trying her best to help.

Charlie thought about it for a few seconds. It seemed like a good idea - but it was completely scuppered when she looked at the steamed-up windows all around them. They'd know for sure that someone was inside!

The car neared ever closer, it was no more than twenty feet away. They tried desperately to cover themselves with their clothes. Charlie wished she hadn't worn such a small t-shirt that evening. It barely covered one of her arms. She'd have give anything at that moment for a giant blanket.

They lay motionless as the car moved within a few feet of them. They could hear it slow down and they hoped it would pass them by. Joey hoped that it was just another couple of lovebirds with the same idea as them. Charlie lay silently panicking that she would be the laughing stock of the station the next day.

They heard the sound of a hand brake.

Charlie's alarm intensified and her eyes widened. She awaited the sound of knuckles wrapping against the window. As far as she was concerned the game was up already. She was already in the dock – awaiting judgement by her peers. A few moments later she heard the whirring of the car engine as it drove on by. Their bodies relaxed in a heap simultaneously.

They lay there silently, catching their breath as relief washed over them.

Joey sat up and looked out as she saw the red tail lights move away from them.

"Y'know ... I have a good mind to go out there and give them a telling off ... they ruined a perfectly good orgasm!"

Charlie burst into laughter. She pulled Joey towards her and kissed her. They settled down together, wrapped in each others arms. "So ... what's this good news you have to tell me?"

"Hold on a sec," said Joey as she searched for her phone to give them some light again. The car lit up and they could see one another at last.

Joey smiled at her and said "I have a new job."

Charlie froze. "Oh!" She suddenly became quite sad. "How long will you be away?" she asked, her disappointment audible.

Joey quickly realised that Charlie misunderstood her. "No, Charlie. It's not a fishing job ... it's in Summer Bay."

Charlie grinned, feeling better instantly.

"I'm gonna be working for Alf ... running day trips along the coast. A tourist guide."

"Wow ... that's amazing, Joey! Congratulations!" She kissed her.

Joey had another plan, but she wanted to wait until it was complete before telling the woman she loved about it. She knew Charlie would be very happy when she found out.

"Just make me one promise, will you?" asked Charlie sincerely.

"Sure ... what is it?"

"Promise me that ... before you start your new job ... you'll finish the one you started ten minutes ago." She grinned devilishly.

Joey grinned and kissed her tenderly. "That ... will be my pleasure, m'lady," she purred as she trailed kisses all the way down to her favourite place again.

To be continued ...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The road outside the Collins household was empty apart from Charlie's car. The short trip back from the forest park had been nice. They had mostly talked about Joey's new job. Charlie was pleased that Joey would not have to take off to sea for several weeks and leave her behind. She didn't think she could cope with being apart for that long.

"Where's your brother tonight?"

Joey frowned. "He's probably asleep. He was already drunk when I got home this afternoon."

Charlie looked concerned. "He didn't ... hassle you, did he?"

Joey shook her head. "No ... well ... no more than usual!" She smiled weakly.

"You need to get out of there, Joey!"

Joey smiled warmly. "I know." They kissed. "What time do you get off work tomorrow?"

Charlie's brow furrowed a little. "I start at noon until midnight." She sighed. "Long shift."

"Well ... you better go home and get plenty of rest, then! Sorry for keeping you out so late."

Charlie grinned and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't mind one bit." She leaned across and kissed her tenderly. "See you tomorrow," she whispered.

"Yeah," whispered Joey. "Good night. And by the way ... you look REALLY hot when you're hiding under a t-shirt ... naked!"

Charlie giggled. "I looked REALLY scared is more like the truth!"

--------x--------

The morning had passed quickly. Joey sat in her room reading up on the history of Summer Bay. The mountain of books on the table looked very daunting at first, but as she began to leaf through them she found it easy to pick out the most interesting facts about the place. She noted them down on a jotter to take to Alf later that afternoon.

She was becoming ever more excited about her new line of work. This could be a new career for her – and a successful one. She had big plans for it, and she was beginning to build up her own hopes for her other plan. She had some money stashed away, and she'd arranged to speak to a local landlord about renting an apartment straight after her visit to Alf. She figured that if she had her own place to live, she could tell her brother about Charlie as soon as she had the key in her hand. She knew he'd probably throw her out of the house anyway, so she'd at least have somewhere to go – a private place where she and Charlie could spend time together. No need to sneak around in Leah's house while everyone was out – worrying that they'd come back early. No more hotel rooms. No more clumsy lovemaking in cars. Their own bed. It sounded like heaven to her. She continued her research well into the afternoon.

--------x--------

Charlie picked up the phone. "Senior Constable Buckton speaking. ... Yes, madam. ... Where did you say you were calling from? ... I see. ... And how long has she been there?" She listened intently to the caller on the other end of the line. "Okay ... we'll be there as soon as we can ... thank you."

She ended the call. "Farnsworth you're coming with me," she said, indicating to her colleague sitting at his desk. "We've just received a call from the same woman who called yesterday to report a woman acting suspiciously near her home ... allegedly. If we hurry we might get there on time to confront her."

They moved swiftly to the first available vehicle.

--------x--------

Lansdowne Close was just over a five minute drive away, but when they arrived there was no sign of any strange woman – just the old lady who had made the call standing outside her home, waving her arms to alert Charlie of her presence.

"You've just missed her. She went over that way," she exclaimed, pointing towards an area of trees and shrubs.

Charlie looked in the direction the old lady indicated. It was a small woodland. She thought it looked quite pretty.

"Farnsworth ... take a statement ... I'll be back in a minute."

She walked towards the opening in the trees. In the distance she saw a figure wearing camouflage clothes. The description matched the one given the previous day. She quickened her pace and undid the clip on her handgun in case she needed it.

When she arrived at the woods she hid herself behind a tree with a large trunk and slowly edged out to peer further. She saw nothing. Whoever it was had gone. She could go no further on her own without proper backup so she decided to return to talk to the old lady. If the woman she spoke of came around another day, she would make sure they had enough officers to pursue her if necessary.

As she approached the old lady scowled. "When are you going to catch this woman? She's after my valuables ... my jewellery ... I know it."

"We're doing everything we can, madam," she tried to reassure her.

"Well it's just not good enough."

Charlie glared at her but had to bite her tongue. She noticed that the old bird was wearing gold rings on almost every finger and several gold necklaces – all at the same time. _Jeez ... she's got more bling than Mr. T_, she thought. She tried her best to push out the voice in her head that was saying '_I pity da fool_.' Bursting into laughter in front of a member of the public would not be a good idea, however, she wished Joey could have been there to see it. She would have been very amused by it all.

Charlie was quickly beginning to form the opinion that the old lady perhaps had a gold fixation and that the suspicious woman might not be suspicious at all. She was sure they'd be getting a call from her again the next day.

--------x--------

Alf quickly read through the list of facts that Joey had compiled earlier in the day. He was impressed.

"Seems like you understand just what I'm looking for, Joey. Well done."

She blushed a little at the compliment. "Thanks, Alf."

"Of course ... I will pay you something for your research time. It takes a while to get all the info together you need."

Joey grinned. All she could think of was making a little extra money to help pay for an apartment. It was just what she wanted to hear.

"So does that mean I can hold onto the books for a while?"

"Sure. Take as long as you need."

They took up a sizeable chunk of space in her bedroom, but she figured they might come in handy for other uses. She could use them as ammunition to throw at her brother if he turned nasty! Some of them were big and heavy and could perhaps knock some sense into him, should the need ever arise. She smiled to herself at the very idea of it.

--------x--------

Joey knocked on Mr. Simpson's door. She hoped he was home. A young girl answered.

"Hi there. Can I speak to ... err ... err ...," she hesitated as she tried to figure out if the young girl was a daughter or granddaughter. She had no idea what the man looked like, or his age.

"Are you looking for my dad?" the little girl asked sweetly.

"Err ... yes. Is he home?"

The little girl swung round and screamed at the top of her voice "DAAAAAAAAAD!"

Joey flinched in surprise. She didn't know such a loud voice could be produced from such a small pair of lungs.

A few moments later a man appeared. "Hi ... you must be Joey." He extended his hand to greet her. She shook it.

"A friend of mine told me you might have an apartment to rent."

"Yes ... that's right. Would you like to go see it? It's not far from here."

Joey grinned. "Sure!"

--------x--------

Joey stood in the living room and looked around her. She thought the place looked great but didn't want to appear too keen, otherwise Mr. Simpson might quote her a higher price than he had originally intended.

"So what do you think?"

She screwed up her nose. "It's ... okay. Needs some TLC but I'm sure you'll take that into account when you work out the rent price."

Mr. Simspon liked this girl. She was sassy – and she spoke his language.

"You can have it for just four hundred a month."

Joey hid her excitement. That was much lower than she expected. "It's an okay price ... but I've been offered another place for fifty bucks less. It has a better kitchen than this one ... but this one has a nicer view. I'm not sure what to do," she lied.

"I'll tell you what, then ... I'll match the price ... if you give me a 'yes' today and two months rent up front."

Joey smiled and extended her hand. "Deal!"

Mr. Simpson shook it then handed her the keys. She could barely wait to surprise Charlie with the good news.

--------x--------

Charlie arrived home just in time to catch Ruby before she went to bed. She was exhausted. It had been a long and unproductive day, in her opinion and she just wanted to climb into bed and catch up on her sleep.

Ruby was sat on the sofa. Charlie slumped into a chair beside her. The teenager smirked as she thought of yet more ways to tease her sister. "So ... no girly action tonight, then?"

Charlie stared at her, but could not hide her amusement at her sister for long. She smiled. "Not tonight ... all work and no play. Has Leah gone to bed?"

"Yeah ... ages ago. I'm just about to go myself." Ruby thought for a few moments. "Charlie?"

Charlie looked at her, searching her expression, wondering if something was wrong.

"I ... I just want you to know ... I'm proud of you ... for being yourself ... and for being so brave." She smiled at her big sister.

Charlie was touched. She hugged Ruby tight. "Thanks Rubes." She didn't feel like she deserved the praise. Every time she thought about the prospect of telling others about her relationship with Joey, she felt very afraid. She didn't know how she would cope with having to deal with those who would treat her with the same disdain as the horrible dragon lady at the Hilton.

Ruby got up and headed off to bed. Charlie sat on for a few more minutes. She took out her phone and sent a good night message to the only woman on her mind.

--------x--------

Joey awoke with a start and looked at the time on her phone. It was 7:30 She heard the sound of Brett in the kitchen. She was sure he was going to be sober today. Brett never could drink steadily for two days in a row. Today was the day she would tell him. She picked the key to her new apartment up off the bedside cabinet and turned it over in her hand. She smiled to herself. The place didn't really have any furniture but it had a bed for her to sleep in and a kitchen to make food. That's all she needed for now. Brett was not going to take the news well – of that she was convinced. She got up and looked at herself in the mirror.

The person she saw looking back at her was different from the one she saw the day before. She had become more independent. A new career had just begun and now she had a place all of her own. She looked forward to the chaos that was certain to ensue.

To be continued ...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Charlie awoke just after 9 a.m. to the sound of a text message arriving on her phone. Her gut feeling told her it was from Joey. She was right. It read ...

_'Sleep isn't the same without u. Are u free this evening?_

_Have more good news. Love – J xxx'_

Charlie wondered what the good news could be. She entered her reply.

_'I finish at 4 p.m. Free all day after that._

_Come over to ours. Love – C xxx'_

Waking up with words from Joey was a great way to start any morning, Charlie thought. It had put a smile on her face and made her look forward to her day. She got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to wash. Leah was in the kitchen and Charlie could hear her talking to VJ. She could feel her own stomach rumbling and rushed herself so she could join them for breakfast.

--------x--------

"Good morning," enthused Leah.

"Good morning. Hey VJ."

VJ smiled at her.

Leah looked at her. "Is ... eh ... Joey ... here?"

Charlie grinned. "No. I had to work late last night so we didn't see one another at all."

"Joey's really nice," VJ said. "I like her."

Charlie sat down beside him and smiled warmly at his honest words. "Yes she is. She's great."

"I'm really glad she's your girlfriend now. She'll be able to play with me more often."

Charlie was taken aback. She looked at Leah, who was blushing.

"Err ... yeah ... sorry about that, Charlie," said Leah, scratching her head nervously. "He overheard Rubes and I talking. Can't keep anything back from this one."

Charlie giggled and nodded in agreement.

--------x--------

Joey had been up for two hours already. She had begun packing up her things. All her clothes were in bags. She looked again at the stack of history books. _Damn, I've gotta move these bloody things all over again_, she thought. Her bedroom door was closed tightly. She didn't want Brett to see what she was doing until she was ready to go. She picked up a box and began to place her other belongings inside.

--------x--------

Charlie hung up the call and indicated to Constable Farnsworth to get to the car quickly. The old lady had called again and Charlie was determined this time to put the whole thing to rest once and for all.

They arrived in much the same way they had done the previous day. The old woman was outside her home. Her many rings and necklaces reflected the Sun's rays and she was very easy to spot from a distance!

"She's over there," she whispered loudly, pointing towards the woods again.

Charlie and Farnsworth ran quickly towards the opening between the rows of trees. Charlie finally spotted the mystery woman who had eluded her for so many days. She was sitting on the ground facing away from them, her legs tucked up in front of her, a notebook in her lap. Charlie moved closer slowly and carefully, taking her gun from it's holster and getting ready to make her move. She watched as the woman lifted up her binoculars to her eyes.

"POLICE," she yelled.

The woman flinched, then froze - dropping her binoculars.

"STAND UP AND TURN AROUND."

There was silence. The woman stood up and turned to look at Charlie, staring straight into her eyes. They were wide and filled with fear but Charlie noticed they shone brightly, green fused with blue. Charlie thought she looked very pretty – not your average criminal in appearance. Such direct eye contact unsettled her for a few moments but she quickly regained her composure.

She held her gun outstretched with one hand, and used her other hand to unhook her handcuffs from her utility belt. She moved cautiously towards her. Farnsworth had his gun pointed directly at the suspect, so Charlie was now able to do what she needed to do.

"I'm placing you under arrest," she said as she lowered her weapon and began to place the cuffs around the woman's wrists, behind her back.

The woman spoke for the first time. "On what charge?" She spoke politely and appeared strangely calm.

Charlie noticed she had an unusual accent. "Trespassing on private property ... these woods are privately owned."

"Yes ... I know that."

"And ... we have reason to believe you have been scouting residential homes. We're taking you to the station," Charlie said as she led her back out towards 'Grandma T' and her personal 24-carat gold mine. Was the old lady wearing every item of jewellery she had – for safety?

As they emerged from the woods the old lady saw them, and ran back into her home as fast as her frail old legs would carry her - to hide. Charlie could see her poking her nose through the blinds in her living room. She guessed she spent a lot of her time doing just that.

She escorted the suspect to the back of the car, opened the door and placed her hand on the back of her head, guiding her inside. She shut the door. As Charlie looked down at her through the glass window she couldn't help but notice that the woman was shaking her head in disbelief, but smiling at her. She wasn't acting like a person who had just committed criminal offence.

--------x-------

The woman sat in the small, grey interview room alone, staring at the floor. Her wrists hurt. The female police officer had fixed the cuffs tightly around her, and she concluded that she was much stronger than she looked. The cuffs had been removed just minutes before. She was in need of some coffee. Her throat was dry and sore. When the officers had brought her in, they had taken her possessions from her – her notebook, her binoculars, her phone – everything. She had refused to talk to anyone except the officer who had arrested her in the first place.

Charlie watched her through the mirror partition. She felt a bit guilty about the method she had used to detain her – noticing how she was rubbing the red marks on her wrists. The woman was slim, with an athletic build. Her long, light brown hair was tied back and she had been wearing a baseball cap when she was arrested. Charlie could now see her properly and she thought she looked very attractive, and was perhaps a few years older than herself. She took a deep breath and prepared to enter the room.

She opened the door and walked inside, closing it tightly behind her. She looked at the clipboard containing the notes that had been given to her.

"I see you've stated that you would only be prepared to speak to me. That wasn't very ... helpful."

The woman looked her in the eye. "Arresting me wasn't helpful. And so I thought to myself ... your mess ... your responsibility. I haven't committed any crime here."

Charlie considered the words. "Well ... that's for us to decide." She sat down and prepared to fill in the paperwork. "What's your name?"

She blinked slowly before responding. "It's Ashlene ... Ashlene Ryan."

"Is that Miss, Mrs. or Ms.?"

The woman hesitated for a few moments. "It's ... Doctor," she said with modesty. She knew the admission would make the police office think twice about what she had done.

Charlie froze in realisation that she may have made a big mistake. "You're a doctor?"

Dr. Ryan smiled at her. "I hope so ... people have been calling me that for years now."

Charlie was amused but didn't want to show it. She was feeling more and more that an apology would soon be required.

"We've been getting complaints that you've been spying on homes around this area."

Dr. Ryan laughed out loud. "Complaints plural?," she queried, "... Or a_ complaint_? From the same person? I'm guessing so ... and I'm also guessing they came from that old woman at Lansdowne ... Madame Goldfingers!"

Charlie bit her lip. "Err ... yes. You have to understand that we are obliged to follow up every call we receive."

"Yes I understand perfectly, officer ... I'm sorry I didn't get your name." Dr. Ryan said. She wanted to know who she was dealing with.

"Buckton."

"Buckton? That's a name? Really?" She raised an eyebrow and grinned.

Charlie was a little offended. "It's Senior Constable Buckton, in fact," she said, a declaration of her authority.

"Well ... Senior Constable ... Buckton ... don't get me wrong ... I understand that you must follow up on all calls from the public ... but REALLY ... handcuffs? Were they necessary?"

Charlie couldn't answer her on that one. "What were you doing out there?"

"Working," she replied. Her voice was cool and calm.

Charlie frowned. "Working? On what?"

Dr. Ryan sighed in disbelief that she was now sitting in a police station having to explain her work to a complete stranger and officer of the law, albeit a very attractive one.

"I work for the University of Sydney. I'm a researcher. My research has led me here ... lucky me ... to Summer Bay."

Charlie took notes. She began to feel a little embarrassed. She'd got this one totally wrong.

"What kind of research?"

"It's in the department of ornithology. I'm researching some very rare bird species ... and there have been some reported sightings right here in this area. I was sent here to look for those birds ... just as you were sent looking for me." She smiled at the irony of it.

Charlie's felt a sinking feeling inside. _Binoculars, of course!_ Now it all made sense. She tried to keep her cool. "Is there someone we can contact to verify all this?" She continued to scribble her notes.

"Yes ... my partner also works with me at the University."

"Can you give me his name and contact number?"

Dr. Ryan smiled and rolled her eyes a little at Charlie's assumption. "HER name is Laura Hutton ... and her number is on the phone you confiscated."

Charlie froze, stopped writing and slowly raised her head to look at the doctor. It hadn't occurred to her that not everyone else in town may be straight. She found it strangely comforting that she and Joey were not alone. Pushing that thought out of her mind for the moment, she concentrated on the job at hand.

"You do know you were on private property, don't you?" asked Charlie.

"Yes ... but I have a permit from the owner of the woodlands. He's the one who called us about the birds in the first place. Call the University and check. Or look at my notebook ... The notes will show you exactly what I've been doing."

"We weren't aware of any permit," Charlie said in her defence.

"And what ... so you thought it would be best to arrest me first ... ask questions later?"

"May I remind you that I am the one doing the interview here?" Charlie was becoming a little annoyed but she could also sympathise with Dr. Ryan. In hindsight her actions were perhaps a little heavy-handed.

Dr. Ryan grinned and looked down at the floor. "Sorry." Sometimes she spoke before thinking about who she was talking to.

"And another thing ... walking around pointing binoculars at private homes isn't a good idea. You can understand why it might arise suspicion, can't you?"

"If one of the birds I am researching happens to land in a tree right outside someone's house ... there isn't much I can do besides observe it as I have been instructed to do. If people have a problem with that then the should come outside and talk to me ... and at least let me explain what I'm doing ... not call the police."

Charlie had no response to that one. She knew the doctor was right and she had been wrong to arrest her without even asking her a single question first.

"I'll be back in a few minutes when I've verified the details you've given me."

"Thank you, Constable Buckton. And may I add ... you're very good at manhandling suspects into vehicles. I didn't bump my head or anything ... it was perfectly executed. Did you have to practice that a lot at the academy?" She finished her sentence with a smirk.

Charlie could sense the sarcasm but she couldn't help smiling. She felt she deserved a little bit of revenge from the doctor. As she left the room, Dr. Ryan raised her voice a little to give her some final advice ...

"And just one more thing ... you really need to work on those handcuff skills." She smiled again as Charlie walked away from her, then continued her speech. "Way too tight! You almost cut off my blood circulation ... I couldn't feel my fingers." She leaned forward to shout her final sentence at Constable Buckton as she watched her walk across the office next door. "IT'S A WONDER I DIDN'T PASS OUT." Sitting back in her chair, she smiled to herself contentedly as she gazed back down at the floor.

Charlie reached her office and closed the door behind her, grinning at the doctors sense of humour, now that she couldn't see her reaction. _Everyone's a smart alec around here_, she thought!

A few minutes later she returned to the interview room. "The University have verified your account. You're free to go."

Dr. Ryan grinned at her. "And what? No apology? Not even a friendly parting handshake? No kiss goodbye?" She raised her eyebrow at the cheeky suggestion.

Charlie was finding it difficult to remain professional around this woman! She wanted to laugh out loud but couldn't. And she admired her confidence and her devil-may-care spirit. It wasn't the kind of attitude normally associate with doctors. "Apologies for taking up so much of your time this afternoon, Dr. Ryan. Constable Farnsworth will make sure you get your things back and he'll see you out."

She exited the room before Dr. Ryan could unleash another succession of one-liners at her. She was feeling embarrassed enough already! Besides, she got the feeling that the doctor had been flirting with her ... just a little bit.

To be continued ...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Brett sat on the sofa most of the afternoon watching tv and wondering what Joey had been doing in her room for so long. He stood up, needing to know right away, and walked over to her bedroom. Joey saw the door swing wide open and she watched Brett glance around at the boxes and bags she had packed. She stood upright and took a deep breath in readiness for the confrontation, and looked him in the eyes.

"What the? ... What's goin' on, Joey?"

"I'm moving out, Brett?" she said calmly.

"WHAT?" His voice raised.

"I've found a place of my own."

"But ... but ... why? Where are you going? What's brought this on."

"You've never accepted who I am, Brett ... and I can't stay here any more. And ... I've met someone." She gulped hard.

His expression blanked, then his eyes narrowed. "You mean ... you've met a woman!"

Joey took another deep breath to keep calm. "Yes."

"WHO IS SHE? Tell me, Joey ... I wanna know."

Joey's looked away for a few moments, before catching Brett's stare once again. She prepared to deliver the bombshell. "Charlie," she declared.

"THE POLICEWOMAN?" His expression turned to anger.

Joey gazed down at the floor as she thought about the woman she loved. She looked up at him and smiled proudly. "Yes," she said, her voice soft and full of emotion. "I love her." She knew at the mention of the words 'love' and 'her' that Brett would explode.

"AWW YOU'RE SICK, JOEY ... YOU NEED HELP OR SOMETHING. WHAT WOULD MUM AND DAD THINK IF THEY SAW YOU NOW?"

Joey could feel the tears well in her eyes. They streamed down her face. She knew Brett would try to throw that one at her. She spoke through clenched teeth - "Mum and dad are gone, Brett."

She wiped back the tears with the palm of her hand. "But I'll tell you this ... they would have been a hell of a lot more understanding that you'll ever be!"

Her words had no effect on him. "Dad hated your kind," he sneered. "He told me that himself. He'd never have accepted what you do."

Joey could feel her heart breaking. They were the most unkind words anyone had ever spoken to her. She loved her dad and her dad loved her just as much. Brett had never gotten along with him the way she did, and he had always been jealous of their closeness. He saw this as his perfect opportunity for revenge – and he had delivered it with the most hurtful lie imaginable.

Joey lifted as many bags as she could carry and pushed past her brother. She stopped at the door and turned around to face him. "I'll be back later to collect the rest of my stuff ... and I'll be gone by tonight." She walked out on him. At least she hadn't given him the satisfaction of throwing her out of their home, she thought.

--------x--------

Joey arrived at Leah's house shortly after 5p.m. She paused for a few moments to wipe her eyes and make sure they were not red or bloodshot. She ducked down beside Charlie's car and checked herself in one of the wing mirrors. There was still evidence that she had been crying. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and hoped Charlie wouldn't notice. As she approached, VJ opened the door for her and smiled.

"Hi Joey. Wanna see my new game? I got it yesterday."

"Hey VJ ... sure. What did you get?"

"New Super Mario Brothers. It's awesome. Do you wanna play it with me?"

"Aww I'd love to, VJ ... but I can't tonight ... sorry."

VJ looked at her with big sad eyes.

"But I can come over another day and play it with you ... if you like."

He cheered right up again. "Yeah." He looked at her, thinking. "Do you have a date with Charlie tonight?"

Her jaw dropped. Leah heard all from the other room and rushed in quickly.

"Hey Joey ... err ... don't mind this one," she said, patting him on the head and trying her best to urge him to go to his room. "He overheard me and Rubes talking and he's a bit ... curious ... about you and Charlie, that's all."

Joey smiled at her. "It's fine, really. He's a great kid." She smiled and roughed the hair on the top of his head.

Charlie entered the kitchen. Her eyes lit up the moment saw Joey. She hadn't seen her at all yesterday. "Hey," she said tenderly.

"Hey," said Joey with just as much tenderness in her voice. "You look ... great."

Charlie blushed and glanced down at her own clothes. She didn't think she looked anything special at all and had thrown on the first thing she could find when she got home. She gestured with her finger for Joey to follow her into her room. Charlie closed the door behind them. They were alone and in private at last.

They threw their arms around one another and kissed. Their day apart had felt like a week. Feeling the softness of each other's lips again was so comforting. Joey broke them apart. She looked deep into Charlie's eyes and smiled. Charlie smiled back at her, her expression quickly changing to a look of concern.

"Joey ... have you been crying?" She knew her lover's features so well by now and saw that her eyes were more red than normal.

Joey took a deep breath. "It's okay, really ... please ... don't worry."

"I can't help it, Joey ... tell me what's wrong."

Joey looked at her, and exhaled slowly. "I told Brett this afternoon."

Charlie wanted to storm over to his house and punch him immediately. How dare he make the woman she loved cry? She sat Joey down on her bed and went to the bathroom to fetch her a cold cloth to put on her eyes. When she returned she sat down beside her and placed the cloth delicately across her eyes and forehead. The coolness felt good against Joey's skin, but the real healing power was not the cold water. Charlie's caring, loving arms could soothe any part of her that hurt. She felt safe and protected again – and loved.

Charlie gently lifted the cloth away and gazed into Joey's eyes. "I'm proud of you." She kissed her.

"I promised myself that this was not going to be a sad day," said Joey with sudden quiet determination in her voice. "And it won't be."

She stood up and extended her hand to Charlie. "Come ... I have something that I want to show you." She smiled.

Charlie looked puzzled. She took Joey by the hand and followed her outside. Joey let go of her hand and walked a few steps in front of her, turning around and walking backwards as she spoke. "Don't want the neighbours finding out too soon, right? One day at a time ... that's my motto!"

Charlie giggled. "Joey ... where are we going?"

"You'll see ... it's not far from here."

They walked around the corner and along a few more streets. Joey stopped a few feet away from her front door. Charlie had no idea what was to come. She watched Joey take something from her pocket. A key. _What the...?_

Joey stepped up to the doorway and turned the key in the lock. She gestured to Charlie to follow her inside. Charlie did as she was instructed, closed the front door behind them and looked around. She was very confused.

"Joey ... what are we doing ... ehh ... who lives here?"

Joey walked up to her and slid her arms around her waist, pulling her close. "I do," she whispered.

"What?" Her eyes widened and she smiled with excitement. Was Joey telling her what she thought she was telling her? "You mean?"

Joey nodded. "Yes ... this is my new place. I'm moving in today."

Charlie squeezed her tight and kissed her. "I can't believe it."

"Yeah," Joey agreed, looking around her. "I'm kinda finding it hard to believe too."

"Does Brett know?"

"He knows I've moved out. He doesn't know where yet. I'm going back there now to get the rest of my stuff. Wanna come?"

Charlie felt fear return to her. Brett now knew about them, and she was sure he wouldn't hold his tongue when he saw them both together, however, she knew that Joey's bravery deserved support, and she was determined to build up the courage to confront him, no matter what the outcome. "Let's go," she said with a smile. "We can put everything into my car ... and we'll only have to go there once. Once is enough!"

Joey smiled and nodded in agreement.

--------x--------

They arrived at the Collins house. "Wait here," said Joey as she stepped out of the car. She walked towards the front door. Brett opened it and looked straight past her at Charlie.

"So ... you've brought your girlfriend for support, eh?" he jibed.

"Don't flatter yourself, Brett. We haven't come for a fight. She's helping me get my stuff ... that's all."

Charlie stepped out of the car and walked towards him. He stared at her, narrowing his eyes and giving her a menacing look. Joey headed straight towards her bedroom. She wanted to make this visit as short as possible.

"There is nothing we need to say to one another, Brett ... so let's leave it, okay?" said Charlie, sounding quite calm. Inside her stomach was in knots!

Brett didn't like being spoken to that way, especially not from someone he considered to be beneath him – a 'sicko'. He opened his mouth to speak but Charlie cut him off ...

"I don't care if you don't accept what Joey and I have ... but let's not make a scene ... for HER sake, at least." She searched his expression, hoping he would see the sense in her words.

He thought about it for a few moments, the scowl remaining on his face. He decided to hold his tongue – for the sake of his only sister. Perhaps there was some good left in him, Charlie thought. Brett stormed back inside the house and sat on the sofa in a huff. He searched for the bottle of whiskey he had stuffed down the side of the seat the night before.

Joey and Charlie spent the next five minutes loading the car with the remainder of the bags and boxes. Brett stood up as they were about to leave. He looked a little hurt.

Joey walked over to him. "Brett ... you are my brother ... and I love you. You are the only flesh and blood I have left. I really hope that some day ... you'll accept who I am." She smiled tenderly and kissed him on the cheek, then turned and walked out the door. Charlie looked at him, emotionless, then followed her outside.

Brett walked over to the door and watched them as they walked away. He rubbed his eyes - a masculine attempt at preventing the tears from forming.

To be continued ...


	6. Chapter 6

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for your continued dedication to reading this Charlie and Joey saga. It's so great to read all your comments and emails, and reading your thoughts on how you think the story will progress in the future is very interesting indeed! Please feel free to continue giving me your opinion of the chapters. Your comments are always welcome. I was worried about episode 4 because I wasn't sure what I was going to write about exactly, and how I was going to write it, but for some reason it's flowing out of me almost faster than I can type it. Weird, huh? Anyhooooo – enjoy!

FirstCenturyBC

Chapter 6

The car stopped outside Joey's new apartment. The back seats and boot were loaded with Joey's personal belongings. They were piled so high they blocked out the light coming in through the back window.

Charlie glanced across at Joey, who was sitting quietly, staring into space.

"You okay?" asked Charlie tenderly. She sensed that Joey's confrontation with her brother had affected her.

Joey nodded her head and smiled weakly. "It had to be done. I feel better now."

"He'll get over it, Joey. It's just gonna take some time."

Joey smiled at her. Charlie always knew how to improve her mood so easily.

Charlie looked out at the row of apartments. "I should know the name of this place. What's it called?" she asked.

"It's called Coronation Lane ... or as I like to call it ... Fornication Lane"? She smirked.

Charlie giggled. "Well if it isn't already ... it soon will be."

Joey looked at her, her eyes wide. "Is that an offer?"

Charlie bit her lip and smiled seductively. "It might be," she teased. "But let's get you moved in properly first."

--------x--------

They had unloaded all the bags and boxes from the car and set them down in the living room. Charlie looked around her. There was no furniture apart from a single small table. "Well it's definitely ... minimalist," she said.

Joey giggled. "I'll get some furniture as soon as I can afford it. I have a bed ... and this table. It'll do for now. It just means we'll have to spend most of our time in the bedroom ... for comfort, of course." She winked at her.

Charlie walked over to her and slipped her arms around her waist. They moved closer until their lips were millimetres apart. "Well ... the first thing we need to do," she began, "... is get you some curtains for this place. We don't want the whole world to see our business, now do we?" She raised an eyebrow mischievously. "And I think we can be pretty sure we're going to be spending a lot of time in this place ... naked."

Joey smiled at the idea.

Their lips drew together, and their kiss deepened instantly. They tightened their embrace and their hands began to explore each other feverishly. Desire for one another had returned to them with a vengeance, and Joey's new bed was going to have to bear the brunt of their passion. Charlie took Joey by the hand and quickly led her into the bedroom. When Joey glanced at the bare window at the far side of the room she had an idea.

"Hold on," she said, breaking away from Charlie's grip and grabbing a spare sheet from beside the bed that she had already made up on her first visit earlier that day. She threw it roughly up over the bare curtain rail, covering the panes of glass nicely. Charlie smiled, impressed at her handiwork.

Joey quickly made her way back across the room to where her lover stood. Their lips collided once more and they collapsed onto the bed together. It creaked loudly but felt very comfortable beneath them – not too hard – and not too soft either. They rolled across to one side, their lips never breaking apart, tongues delving deeper and deeper as they became more and more aroused.

Charlie lay atop her. Joey relished the feeling of having her lover lying on her, pressing down and rubbing against her. Their legs intertwined. Joey allowed her knee to slide gently back and forth between Charlie's legs, making her exhale loudly. They gazed deep into each other's eyes with a look of love and happiness on their faces, which quickly turned to a look of pure, unashamed lust.

Joey reached upwards and slid her hands around the back of Charlie's neck and pulled her in to her. They kissed passionately, their breathing becoming heavy, their hearts beating ever faster. Joey rolled them over again until she lay atop Charlie, their lips barely apart. They gasped for air, each feeling the warm, moistness of the other's breath against their own lips. Joey kissed her tenderly, before moving down, kissing her neck and shoulders. Charlie responded, slipping her fingers up inside Joey's t-shirt, moving them slowly up over her tummy and caressing her firm, breasts. She felt Joey's nipples harden beneath her white cotton bra. It sent waves of desire throughout her own body. She wanted more – needed more. She slipped her hands back down and out, then sat upright on the bed, Joey moving with her. She raised Joey's t-shirt quickly up over her head and off. Joey responded, unbuttoning Charlie's blouse in seconds and whisking it off her body.

They kissed again, with even greater passion. Joey pushed her back down again and lunged on top of her, burying her face in her neck, kissing and licking fervently. She thought that Charlie's hair smelled wonderful – like strawberries. She breathed hard, making tiny noises of pleasure that Charlie would have been happy to listen to for days on end.

Joey raised herself and gazed into her eyes again, their faces mere inches apart. She closed her own eyes briefly before opening them again to speak. She was almost panting with lust, and she found it difficult to get the words out – but she needed to say them.

"No one has ... ever made me feel ... the way I feel ... when I'm with you, Charlie," she gasped.

Charlie smiled at her words. They were so honest and heartfelt.

Joey continued. She needed to say more. "When we kiss ... I feel as though I could burn up. Every part of me feels like it's on fire." Joey smiled at her. "How do you do that?"

Charlie kissed her tenderly. "Must be magic."

Joey giggled. "Well if you like magic then watch this space ... in a few minutes I'm gonna make my tongue disappear." She grinned devilishly and raised one eyebrow.

Charlie's eyes widened when she realised what she meant by it. Her jaw dropped in pretend shock.

"Joey Collins ... you are ... such bad girl!" she said, bursting into a laughing fit – which quickly turned into a coughing fit. She couldn't stop coughing - or laughing. Joey jumped up off the the bed and ran to the kitchen to fetch her some water. She didn't know the kitchen very well yet, and struggled to find a glass. She hoped the previous tenants had left one. She had brought a few with her but they were still in one of the boxes. Finally she found a plastic cup in one of the cupboards. She rinsed it quickly then filled it with water, turning around quickly to return to the patient in need. A still-coughing Charlie came out to meet her, grabbed the cup from her hand and took a large gulp. She felt instantly better. She took a deep breath then smiled at Joey. Then she put the cup down and grabbed Joey around the waist, lifting her up off the floor.

Joey instinctively wrapped her legs around her. They kissed deeply as Charlie carried her back to the bedroom, their hands caressing one another all the way. She closed the door behind her with her foot. They approached the bed. Joey gasped for air briefly, but could not keep her lips away for long. Their lips remained locked as the fell onto the bed once again. They heard a huge cracking noise as the bed wobbled from side to side. Suddenly, Charlie and Joey found themselves sliding downward as the lower legs of the bed collapsed under them. They slid all the way down to the floor.

"Oww my ass," cried Joey, laughing at the same time. She'd hit her coccyx against the ground and it hurt.

Charlie laughed out loud. They were still in each other's arms, locked in the same embrace, except now they found themselves sitting on the carpet.

Joey looked behind her at the trail of destruction, then looked back at Charlie. She shrugged. "Well ... looks like I'm going to have to add a new bed to that long list of furniture I need to buy," she said matter-of-factly.

Charlie laughed harder. She loved Joey's laid back attitude and felt the urge to kiss her for it. Had it been her bed, she would have been thoroughly ticked off! She kissed her tenderly.

"Where did you get this bed from anyway?" she asked.

"It was here when I arrived. My landlord, Mr. Simpson, said the last tenants left it behind."

Charlie frowned, then raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Well ... now we know why."

"Jeez Charlie ... every time we get naked ... something always happens. Can you even remember the last time we did _THIS_ without any drama?"

Charlie thought for a few moments. "Come to think of it ... no!" She snuggled closer to her. "Listen ... I'll tell you what...," she began, "... since I helped you break it ... I'll help you buy a new one. Besides ... it's only fair ... since I'm sure I'm going to be sleeping in it quite a bit."

Joey grinned. "What ... ONLY sleeping?"

Charlie giggled. "Umm ... and other things!"

They kissed again.

"So what do we do now?" Joey asked. They had broken the only thing in the entire apartment that could offer them any sort of comfort.

Charlie pondered the options. Her face suddenly lit up. "Let's go Japanese!" she exclaimed.

Joey looked at her as though she had just gone mad.

Charlie stood up, and pulled Joey to her feet. She grabbed the mattress and pulled it down onto the floor. As she did so the other legs collapsed noisily to the ground.

"There we are ... instant futon!" Charlie said, beaming at her own ingenuity.

Joey grinned at her. "Perfect!"

They climbed onto it and cuddled up together.

Joey felt happier at that moment than she could ever remember being. For the first time, she was in her very own bed, albeit completely broken, in her own apartment, with the love of her life, a beautiful, sexy, loving and caring woman whom she adored with all her heart. Nobody could interrupt them. They wouldn't have to get dressed in a hurry and pretend to be reading ever again. They couldn't end up stranded on any balcony here, and they'd always have a place to feel safe when the world outside became too tough to handle. It was heaven.

She raised her head and looked into Charlie's eyes. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

Charlie gazed at her and simply said "I had no intention of leaving." They kissed.

Joey broke their lips apart. "Oh ... I have something for you," she said, fidgeting with her jeans, trying to slide her fingers into her front pocket. Her hand emerged closed in a fist. She extended it for Charlie to hold out her hand underneath. She did so. Joey opened her fingers and allowed the mystery item to drop onto Charlie's palm. _A key!_ Charlie could not take her her eyes off it.

"Now you can come and go as you please," said Joey. "I'm not expecting you to want to move in or anything. I know you can't leave Rubes ... 'cos she needs you. I just want you to know that I think of this place as being as much yours as it is mine."

Charlie was deeply touched.

She looked up at Joey and smiled warmly. It was such a sweet gesture, and a symbol that their relationship was becoming deeper and stronger. She felt incredibly proud at that moment. Joey was the most amazing and beautiful woman she had ever met. When faced with such hurtful prejudice from her own brother, she had stood tall and been the better person. As Charlie watched Joey tell her brother that she loved him and kiss his cheek, her heart broke for her. All Joey wanted was to be loved and accepted by the only family she had left, and it was denied from her. Charlie felt the urge to remind her just how loved she really was.

She rolled on top of her and kissed her tenderly once again. The key dropped from her hand onto the floor and she caressed Joey's tummy with her fingertips. Her skin felt so good and the desire to taste it overwhelmed her. She lowered herself, kissing Joey's soft, bare flesh just below her bellybutton – licking her with the tip of her tongue. Joey held her breath and closed her eyes slowly. She was in bliss as she relished the sensations. Charlie breathed harder, feeling her own desires heightening rapidly. She wanted to have Joey naked beneath her immediately. She scrambled to unbutton Joey's jeans and slid them off. She did the same with her briefs, before turning her attentions to the last item of clothing hiding Joey's nakedness – her bra. Slipping her hand behind her back, she unclasped it. Joey arched backwards to assist her. She tugged gently at the straps, slipping the garment off and allowing it to fall the very short distance to the floor beside them. Mission accomplished. She gazed down at the nakedness of the woman she loved. "You look gorgeous," she whispered.

The words aroused Joey even more and she felt the impulse to make Charlie as naked as she was. She wanted to feel her bare skin against her own, wanted to taste her – make her moan with pleasure. She loved those noises and she felt she had become all the more addicted to hearing them. She reached upwards, slipping her hands around Charlie's waist and sliding them upwards until she found the clasp of her bra. It unclipped easily. Charlie's arms supported her own body either side of Joey's head, and when Joey unhooked the bra it slipped off, falling onto her face, across her eyes. She breathed in deeply, the delicate scent of Charlie's perfume-tinged underwear filled her nostrils with sweetness. The fabric tickled her a little.

Charlie giggled at the sight of her lover's new mask. She lifted her arm to remove it and as she did her hair cascaded down over her shoulders, and onto Joey's cheeks, tickling her even more.

Joey unbuttoned Charlie's jeans and began to slowly slip them lower, along with her briefs, exposing Charlie's behind. She stroked Charlie's soft skin with her fingers lightly, feeling the occasional lump beneath her fingertips. She looked at Charlie. "Your skin is all bumpy."

Charlie's giggled. "That was you ... and your claws ... at the Hilton. Remember?"

Joey gasped. "Awww I'm sorry, babe ... did I hurt you?" She kissed her tenderly. "Lemme kiss it better for you."

Charlie laughed as Joey rolled her over so that she lay behind her. She lowered herself and placed delicate kisses all over her, paying special attention to the healing skin. Her nails had dug in so deeply that tiny scabs had formed. She felt bad about it. She hadn't meant to be so rough. She also took the opportunity to remove Charlie's jeans and underwear completely, slipping them downwards and off with much greater ease.

Charlie lay flat on her tummy as Joey continued to mend her with her wetted lips. She moved her attentions higher, kissing the small of Charlie's back. Charlie lay her head sideways on the pillow and exhaled loudly, enjoying every moment of it. Her arousal reached new heights. Joey stroked her back as she kissed her, running her fingers up over her shoulders and down along her arms. Charlie could take no more! The passion within her became so great that it drove her to reciprocate immediately. She turned herself over so that she lay on her back. Joey gazed into her eyes. They were hazy and Charlie could barely focus. Her breathing had become heavy and rasping. Joey thought she looked incredible – gorgeous and sexy and untamed. Her hair was spread across the pillow below her.

Charlie lunged upwards, kissing Joey hard. She pulled her close to her and threw her onto the mattress, switching positions swiftly. She kissed her again, deeply – their tongues licking against lips and cheeks. Charlie slid her hand down and rested it on Joey's hip. Then she slowly slipped it between their bodies until it rested between Joey's legs. Charlie pulled her lips away. She wanted to see her lover's face as she began to touch her more intimately.

Her fingers became wet. Joey slowly closed her eyes, exhaling loudly in bliss. Her mouth remained agape as Charlie began her pleasure assault. She loved seeing the enjoyment on Joey's face. Joey moaned softly – moving her hips in rhythm with Charlie. Charlie leaned close to her until they felt their breath in each other, their mouths just millimetres apart.

"_Do you like that_?" whispered Charlie.

Joey couldn't speak. She could only nod her head.

Charlie kissed her passionately. Joey responded by wrapping her arms tightly around her. Charlie slid a little further down, kissing her neck – licking her. "._.. and this_?"

Joey's response was barely audible ... "_yesss_," she breathed.

Charlie slid even further down, placing a kiss between Joey's breasts. "_Do you like it when I kiss you here?_" she whispered sweetly, kissing her more.

"_Mmmm ... I love it._"

Charlie left a trail of soft, wet kisses all over her breasts, allowing her lips to linger on Joey's hardened nipple. She took it between her teeth, then placed her lips around it and sucked gently. Joey moaned loudly. She was in ecstasy.

"_You like this too?_" Charlie teased, her voice low.

"Mmmmm", said Joey. It was all she could manage to say.

Charlie slid lower, intensifying her efforts. Within moments, her tongue had joined forces with her fingers in bringing Joey to orgasm – and it was working. Joey's breath shortened and her body writhed as she lost control, giving herself over completely to Charlie. She was entirely at her mercy – and loving every minute. Her body burned. She could feel that familiar tingling at the base of her spine intensify with each passing second. The moment of release was close – very close. She reached her arms outwards, grabbing at anything she could find. Her eyes were closed and she grasped blindly, one hand clutching the side of the mattress, the other accidentally grabbing a broken leg from the bed. She squeezed it tightly as she came hard, her face became contorted.

"Fuuuuuuuck!" Joey never usually swore - but these were special circumstances. She arched her back to cope with the intensity of the sensations coursing through her body, and she could feel herself throbbing strongly, deep within. Her body relaxed onto the mattress.

Charlie remained where she had been for the past several minutes, placing delicate kisses everywhere that she desired. She trailed kisses all along Joey's inner thigh, and could feel the quivering in her legs. She smiled to herself, pleased to have given her lover such a good time.

Joey lay unable to move. Charlie slid upwards to look at her face. "I've never heard you swear before," she said with a grin.

Joey giggled. "I couldn't help it." She pulled Charlie towards her and kissed her tenderly. "You turn me on too much," she whispered. They kissed again - passionately.

Joey broke their lips apart and grinned mischievously at her lover, ready to say the words she knew would make Charlie laugh out loud. "Are you ready for my magic trick yet?" She stuck out the tip of her tongue, biting it gently.

Charlie responded exactly as she had predicted.

To be continued ...

Author's note: I think I need a holiday after this one. Love scenes just keep gettin' tougher and tougher to write for you guys! Hope you enjoyed it! :-)

P.S. Away for a cold shower! May be gone for quite some time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note:** Hi everyone. Thank you again for you kind words of encouragement. For those of you who have requested that I continue this saga for a long time ... you might just get that wish. I'm getting addicted to creating this story and could end up writing on and on until Charlie and Joey reach retirement age. You never know ... in forty years time you could still be getting emails that read something like the following ...

"[FF New Story] New story from FirstCenturyBC

Title: Moonlight Shadow 10,237: Bingo Night"

Here's another chapter to whet your appetite, hopefully ... ;-) Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Joey was ready to fulfil the cheeky promise she made earlier. She reached out and grabbed Charlie roughly, pulling her down on top of her own body, their lips colliding in a frenzy of kisses. Their bodies felt red hot against one another, yet their skin felt so soft. Joey rolled them over until she lay on top, gazing downwards at her lover's slender figure and tanned skin. Charlie exhaled, gingerly awaiting Joey's next move. What was she going to do to her this time? Every time she and Joey made love, it was always new and exciting. Then again, their excitement was always heightened by the bizarre situations they seemed to manage to get themselves into. Apart from a collapsing bed, this night would be hassle-free, she hoped.

Joey steadied herself, supporting her own weight with one arm. She raised her hand and placed her index finger delicately on the tip of Charlie's nose as she gazed into her eyes. Then she slowly and gently traced a line downwards, brushing over her lips. Charlie kissed her fingertip as it passed. It tickled her chin as it moved lower, down over her neck and throat, passing between her breasts. Her tummy tensed as Joey's finger made contact with her taut abdominals. It moved lower still. Charlie's pulse raced in excited expectation. Joey's touch was so very tender. Charlie slid her legs a little further apart as Joey's hand approached. Her breathing shortened as she awaited her lover to touch her there. She wanted her so badly. As Joey's fingers slid further down and over her moistened hairline, Charlie gasped. Joey had made such a simple act feel so incredibly sensual. Charlie felt a flutter between her legs at the thought of it all. Joey brought her fingertips to rest gently between her legs. Charlie slid her hips forward in an effort to make contact. She could wait no longer – but Joey did not respond, retracting her hand a little instead, teasing her lover and making her wait. She gazed deep into Charlie's eyes, watching her expressions of lust and longing. Suddenly she drew her hand away. She had another idea. Charlie moaned softly as she exhaled in frustration.

Joey kissed her hard, wrapping her arms around her and rolling them both over until Charlie lay on top of her. Her hands explored wildly. Charlie could sense Joey's desire heighten and it only heightened her own arousal. Joey placed the palm of her hands against Charlie's shoulders and pushed her upwards, forcing her to kneel upright, straddling her. She gazed down at Joey, and saw that her deep brown eyes had hazed over from the rising passion within. Joey looked up at the beautiful form kneeling above her. She became consumed by lust as she looked at the expression on Charlie's face – it was one of nervous anticipation mixed with the excitement of not knowing what to expect next.

Joey smiled at her, not saying a word, taking her time and making Charlie wait even more. Slowly she began to slide herself further underneath her lover's body. When Charlie realised what she had in mind, her heart began to pound in her chest. She felt faint pulsations between her legs as she relished the sight before her eyes – watching Joey slide snake-like underneath her. She could feel Joey's warm, moist breath between her legs as she knelt. This was completely new to her, and she was already in bliss at the thought of what was about to be.

Joey slipped her arms around the back of Charlie's knees, up over her buttocks and wrapped them tightly up around her legs and holding her firmly. Charlie moaned loudly as Joey's lips made contact. She felt completely controlled - at her lover's mercy, in an entirely new and enthralling way. Her hips began to make tiny circling motions in response to Joey's actions. She reached down and gently cupped the back of Joey's head, feeling her wet and matted hair which was now soaked with perspiration. Looking down, she saw Joey's eyes upon her, looking up at her lustfully. She could not see her mouth, but the sudden wrinkling around her eyes told her that she was smiling as she continued to please her. It made Charlie smile, and she closed her eyes, heightening all of her other senses even more.

Joey slid her hands upwards as far as she could reach, caressing and stroking Charlie's scented, perspiring skin. Joey could see the beads of sweat forming on Charlie's forehead and her hair was beginning to become tousled and moist from the intensity of their lovemaking.

Charlie could feel her body becoming hotter and hotter. Her skin felt as though it was on fire, and it tingled from her head right down to the tips of her toes. She needed to hold onto something else to steady herself, but the mattress lay in the middle of the room and there was no other furniture to help her.

With one hand remaining behind Joey's head, now gripping her hair between her clenched fist, she placed the palm of her other hand on the mattress below her to stop her losing her balance. Her legs were visibly shaking and Joey tightened her grip even more. She revealed a strength to Charlie that she had never felt before and she hoped she'd get to feel it many times in the future. It was so wonderful. She expressed the increasing intensity of her arousal loudly, moaning and gasping. She threw her head backwards, flicking her hair high into the air above them.

As Joey's tongue hastily delved deeper, Charlie cried out. She opened her eyes and gazed down at Joey, smiling at the thought of her lover's heightening libido. Joey's eyes were closed in concentration. She slid her hands lower, caressing the delicate scars on Charlie's behind that she had been the cause of.

Charlie could feel the sensations that were coursing through her body quickly intensify. She felt the urge to increase the motion of her hips, but held back for fear of suffocating her lover beneath her! Quickly she felt the moment of release approach. She gasped repeatedly. "Oh god, Joey ... I'm gonna ... I'm gonna ..." She didn't have time to finish the sentence – and she didn't need to. The eruption between her legs was overwhelming. A succession of strong pulsations made her cry out in ecstasy. She didn't realise how hard she was pulling on Joey's hair. She was completely oblivious and at the mercy of her own arousal.

As the feelings passed, her body continued to heave as she tried to catch her breath – her legs shook even more. She needed rest. She let go of Joey's hair and fell forward, collapsing onto the bed in a heap. Joey knew instantly that her performance had left Charlie completely spent. She smiled to herself in satisfaction.

She sat up and looked at her, giggling at the sight of Charlie lying face down on the pillow, unable to move a muscle. "So ..." she began. "... how's my magic skills? Do I still need to work on them or do I qualify?"

Charlie's muffled giggle could barely be heard. She turned around to lie on her back. "I think ... you should be a bona fide member of the Magic Circle. That was JUST incredible!"

Joey beamed. She snuggled closer to the woman she loved and they wrapped their arms around each other as they prepared to rest.

Charlie draped her arm around Joey's neck. Joey rested her head gently against Charlie's chest. She ran her fingers up over her breasts and all the way up to her neck, tickling her. It made Charlie laugh out loud. Charlie reached down and placed her fingers underneath Joey's chin, tipping her head backwards and pulling her closer for a tender kiss.

Neither had ever felt so contented. They were together in their own private space, doing what they did best. It was blissful.

--------x--------

Several minutes had passed. Neither had said a word as they lay together in the same embrace. Tiredness was beginning to overcome them and drag them off into slumber. Joey raised her head to look at Charlie. Her eyes were closed but she sensed Joey's movement and opened her eyes to look at her. Evidence of their happiness spread across their faces.

"Are you hungry," asked Joey tenderly.

"Umm ... yeah ... actually. What do you have?"

Joey bit her bottom lip. "Err ... nothing. But we can call out for some food if you want."

Charlie laughed aloud. "Yeah .. well ... we're gonna have to."

Joey giggled. "I haven't been shopping yet. I don't even know if the fridge works properly." Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Hey would you like to go get some groceries with me tomorrow?"

Charlie smiled widely. "I'd love to." She really did love the idea of going shopping with her partner. She saw it as something that couples do every day, and she had never done that with anyone before. It would be a nice thing to share, she thought. "We'll go tomorrow morning ... okay?"

Joey smiled and nodded. They kissed in celebration of their new plan. Charlie pulled away in sudden realisation. "I'd better ring home ... tell them I won't be back tonight. They'll be worried if I don't."

Joey agreed. Charlie searched the floor for her phone and dialled.

There was a pause.

"Hey Rubes. Listen ... I won't be home tonight. Joey has a new apartment and I'm spending the night with her ... to keep her company."

Another pause.

"RUBY! THAT'S SO RUDE!"

Joey giggled. She sensed that Charlie was at the mercy of her sister's teasing – again.

"That's not funny ... and you're way too young to be saying stuff like that. Where the hell are you getting this stuff at? School?"

Charlie felt the need to be the older, concerned sister – always keeping her younger sibling in line. She listened as Ruby gave her trademark reply.

"You HAVE NOT learned it from me!" She grinned at Joey and shook her head in dismay.

"Okay ... see you tomorrow. Bye."

She ended the call and sighed in frustration. "That girl. I dunno!"

"What did she say?" Joey was curious.

"Err ... you don't wanna know. Let's me put it this way ... she talked about things that fifteen year olds should know nothing about. I'm REALLY gonna have to have that talk with her."

Joey giggled. They cuddled together on the mattress – neither planning to leave that bed until morning. Already, after only a few hours together in that apartment ... 19 Coronation Lane felt just like home sweet home!

To be continued ...


	8. Chapter 8

Hi everyone. Since you've all been so very kind with your comments and emails – here's another chapter. Enjoy ;-) - FirstCenturyBC

Chapter 8

Joey woke first, rubbing her eyes to help her focus on the new day. It seemed very early. She looked at Charlie, who lay beside her with her back to her. Joey leaned in close, smelling her skin – still sweet, even after the previous night's intense lovemaking. She kissed her arm ever so softly, but it was enough to make Charlie stir and stretch out her limbs. Joey watched her some more, her eyes capturing the delicate features of her back and shoulders, and the way her hair cascaded over them. She considered herself to be the luckiest woman alive.

Quietly, she got up and tip-toed into the kitchen. She suddenly remembered the absence of curtains in the apartment and ran back into the bedroom to fetch a sheet to cover herself. Neighbours walked past often. She didn't want them to catch an eyeful before they had even been properly introduced.

She walked back to the kitchen and opened the fridge. It was empty but it seemed to be working fine - cold, dry air billowed down onto her toes. She was hungry and hoped that Charlie would wake soon, so that they could go get breakfast somewhere, and do some shopping. The sudden sound of footsteps behind her startled her - bare feet on tiled floor. She swung around to see Charlie standing behind her, completely naked. They embraced and shared their first morning kiss in their new apartment.

"Good morning," whispered Joey.

"Good morning," replied Charlie.

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Mmm ... that mattress is soooo comfortable. I think we should keep it."

Joey smiled. She liked Charlie's usage of the word 'we.' "Shall we get dressed and go get some breakfast at the Diner? I'm starving."

Charlie smiled and nodded, before kissing the woman she loved once more.

--------x--------

They sat opposite one another, their good moods showing all over their faces.

"My my ... you two look happy," came the recognisably loud and nasal voice of Irene. "What have you been up to to get you in such a good mood?"

They blushed a little – unable to answer that one honestly.

"Well ... what can I get for you ladies this morning?"

Joey thought for a few moments. "Pancakes, please ... this has to be a day for pancakes!"

Charlie liked that idea. "Same for me ... please."

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please," they said in unison.

Irene left them alone to prepare their order. Charlie gazed down at Joey's hand resting on the table. She wanted to hold it so much, staring at it pensively. Joey saw the look on her face, realising exactly what she was thinking. Their eyes met.

"It won't be like this forever, Charlie," she reassured her. "Whenever you are ready, you'll know. Me? I don't care what other people think. So ... I just want you to know that I'll never put pressure on you. It'll be your choice."

Charlie smiled warmly at her. Joey's words gave her courage. She slowly reached across the table and slipped her fingers inside Joey's hand. Joey squeezed them gently and smiled at her proudly.

Irene was busy preparing the final touches to Charlie & Joey's breakfast. She glanced at them, noticing their hands clasped together. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned. Was it a friendly gesture or something more? She had heard the rumours about Joey, but surely Charlie didn't swing that way. Men were her thing. She approached them cautiously, tray in hand. When they saw her coming they quickly pulled their hands apart.

"Err ... there you go ... uh ... ladies," stammered Irene. She was now convinced there was more to it than a just a friendly touch of the hand. They had flinched when she walked towards them. That had told her everything she needed to know. She walked away from them, wondering who to tell first.

Charlie and Joey could sense Irene's uneasiness in their company.

Joey grinned. "Y'know, Charlie ... if you want our relationship to be known ... you certainly picked the right woman for the job. Irene's probably on the phone right now ... calling all the local papers."

Charlie frowned, then smiled at the woman she loved. Her initial reaction was that of fear, but when she looked at Joey, all her worries melted away. How could she ever want to deny the love she felt for her? It would be impossible. Joey meant too much to her. The rest of the world was just going to have to deal with it and get over it.

--------x-------

The supermarket was quiet this early in the morning. Joey's mini shopping trolley squeaked as she pushed it – and it had a mind of it's own, veering to the right every time she moved it. It annoyed her. She always seemed to pick the one trolley that should have been sent to the scrapheap long ago.

Charlie stood studying the assortment of fruit on the shelves. She picked up a bag of juicy red apples and placed them in the trolley. Then she picked up a punnet of grapes, checking their freshness. Joey stood beside the breakfast cereals. She wasn't sure what Charlie preferred in the mornings. She looked at her and said "Which one?"

"Umm ... Special K," she replied.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Joey. "I knew you were a Special K woman." Joey picked up a packet and placed it in the basket. "You just ... y'know ... look like one," she said, shrugging her shoulders and smiling at her.

Charlie's jaw dropped in pretend offence. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a grin.

Joey smirked. "All you health freaks eat Special K!"

Charlie grinned. "Well which cereal do you couch potatoes like?" teased Charlie.

Joey scanned the shelf and picked up a box of Coco-Pops, showing them to her.

Charlie giggled. "COCO-POPS? ... What are you ... five?"

Joey pretended to look insulted, but she knew Charlie was only playing with her. Charlie smirked at her and admitted. "I love them too ... always have done."

Joey added them to their shopping trolly and they continued their trek along the aisles in search of the things they needed for their brand new love nest.

--------x--------

Back in Joey's kitchen, they emptied their shopping bags, filling the fridge with their favourite foods.

"I'm going to give this place a good clean up today," said Joey. "Then I'll unpack all my stuff and try to find somewhere to put it all in the meantime ... until I get some furniture." She looked around her. "I can barely believe it ... my very own place. OUR very own place."

Charlie stopped what she was doing and took Joey in her arms and pulling her towards her. Their noses touched. "It's gonna look great," she said tenderly. She glanced around her. "And you're lucky ... it doesn't even need painting. Must have been decorated recently."

"I'll try to find some curtains today ... and hang them. I've never done that before."

"I'll help you later ... after I get home from work."

They nuzzled closer.

"What time do you finish?"

"Eight ... I start at two. Nice short day."

Joey kissed her softly on the lips.

"I'd better go spend some time with Ruby this morning. So I'll see you later," said Charlie sweetly.

"I'll be counting the minutes," whispered Joey.

They kissed one last time before Charlie had to go see her younger sister.

--------x--------

It was just before lunchtime. Ashlene Ryan sat alone in The Diner, sipping coffee and studying the data on her laptop which sat atop the table. She had managed a few sightings of the elusive bird species so far, but she felt she was missing something important. Were there other areas locally that she hadn't yet tried? Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a familiar face enter through the doors. It was Senior Constable Buckton, out of uniform and looking pretty damned amazing, she thought. She watched as the off-duty police officer glanced around the room looking for a free table. A low-battery warning beeped from her laptop, drawing her attention away for a few moments and when she had dealt with the problem she realised that the constable was now standing next to her. She raised her line of sight slowly and tentatively to meet her gaze, hoping that she was not in any trouble this time. What did the officer want with her?

The constable smiled and extended her hand. "No hard feelings?"

Placing her wrist together and holding them up as though they were in shackles, Dr Ryan smiled and said "Hey as long as there's no more handcuffs ... there's no more hard feelings." She shook her hand, expecting the gesture to be the end of their conversation.

Constable Buckton stood on, looking and feeling a little awkward. Dr. Ryan noticed, and thought of a way to ease her nerves.

"Can I buy you a coffee ... just to prove I don't hold grudges?"

"Yes, thanks ... that'd be nice."

"Please ... have a seat," she gestured for her to join her. "Do I have to call you Constable Buckton or is there something ... less formal and less intimidating that I can use?"

Charlie smiled at her words. "It's ... Charlie."

"Well ... it's very nice to meet you ... again ... Charlie. What would you like to drink?"

"Umm ... just an americano, please ... no sugar."

"Okay ... I'll be right back ... and I promise not to make any jokes about you being sweet enough already," said the doctor with a warm smile.

Charlie blushed a little. Doctor Ryan stood up and walked to the counter to place the order. She soon returned with mug in hand and set it down in front of her. Charlie thanked her as she sat back down beside her. She took a sip and thought for a few moments.

"So ... what exactly are you looking for in Summer Bay, doctor?" She was curious.

"Please ... call me Ashlene ... or Ash. Most people call me Ash."

Charlie nodded in acknowledgement.

Ash pressed a few keys on her laptop, then swung it around to help explain. "Here ... take a look. I'm looking for three species of birds in particular. They're now on the IUCN's critically endangered list and they're urgently in need of protection."

Charlie looked at the images on screen and smiled. "A very noble cause."

"Yes it is ... but sometimes it can be very frustrating."

"I suppose being arrested doesn't help either," said Charlie, doing her best to make light of her previous day's error of judgement.

Ash laughed. "Of course if you'd just asked me first ... instead of goin' all Jodie-Foster-Silence-Of-The-Lambs on me with the gun pointing and the yelling you'd- ... well ... lets not go there again, shall we?" She grinned.

Charlie smiled, relieved that the doctor could see the humour in it. "Thanks."

Ash suddenly had an idea. "Charlie ... maybe you could help me with my research."

Charlie had no idea what she meant by that, but she was intrigued to hear more.

"I've been here for a while now and I'm not getting the results I'd hoped for. I think I'm missing out on some important local habitats. The trouble is ... I'm not familiar with this part of the country ... and I thought that ... with you being a police officer ... you would know the area pretty well. Would you be free for a few hours tomorrow morning to show me around? I could really do with your help."

Charlie thought about it. It was her job to know the district extensively and the idea was very good. She also liked the thought of doing her bit to help local wildlife - but she had reservations. What would Joey think of her spending some of her free time with another woman? And how would she react if she found out that the woman in question also has a girlfriend? She'd never been in this kind if situation before. When she'd dated men, spending time with women was not an issue. But now, she felt it was different – and Ashlene Ryan wasn't just any other woman – she was a very hot, intelligent and very funny gay woman. Joey might not be very happy about it.

Charlie bit her lip, "I'm sorry, Ash. I'd really love to... but ... I can't."

Ash looked a little disappointed. "That's too bad. Are you sure I can't tempt you? I'll buy you breakfast before ... or lunch after ... and if we discover any brand new species, I promise to name it after you. Charlie Duckton ... or something like that!"

Charlie giggled. "Okay ... I suppose I could spare a few hours." She was won over.

"Great!" exclaimed Ash. "Shall we say ... 9 a.m. here ... tomorrow?"

"Sure," said Charlie. "I'd better go. Thanks for the coffee. See you tomorrow."

"It's been a pleasure to talk to you again, Charlie Buckton ... and thank you." She smiled warmly at her.

Charlie liked her. She had a cracking sense of humour and she had to admit she enjoyed her company, even the embarrassing encounter the day before. She had even enjoyed the ribbing Ash had given her, so why couldn't she spend time with a new friend? Joey would be okay about it, wouldn't she? They'd both have to get used to the idea of having other female friends, without their being suspicion involved. It would be the sign of a solid relationship.

They exchanged glances briefly. Charlie nodded her head in silent farewell, then left.

Ash sat alone again, thinking. Summer Bay was beginning to seem so much more appealing to her now that she had a new and very lovely acquaintance.

To be continued ...


	9. Chapter 9

Ok ... I need to make a little apology. I realised straight after I posted chapter 8 that I got a character's name totally wrong. In the diner scene with Charlie and Joey I referred to Colleen as Irene - and I don't think I can change it on this site without deleting it and re-posting. Oops! Sorry about that. I've only just started watching the show again after many years not doing so. Their names are just too damn similar! So from now on I will be calling her by her proper name! Sorry again ... and feel free to call me an idiot! :) - FirstCenturyBC

Chapter 9

It was 8:25 p.m. Work had been very uneventful and Charlie was appreciative of a nice easy day. Last night had zapped her of a lot of her energy – and she knew that tonight would probably be the same story. She smiled to herself at the thought of it. The full-length mirror in her bedroom reflected her image as she undressed, changing out of her uniform. Her plan was to go over to Joey's as soon as possible, but she wanted to talk to Ruby first. It was important. Ruby was due home any minute.

As she dressed herself in her favourite t-shirt and jeans she heard a door opening.

"Rubes is that you?"

"Yeah ... I'm here ... in the living room," came the reply.

Charlie went to find her. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," replied Ruby as she sat down on the sofa. "So? Tell me ... what's Joey's place like?" she enquired enthusiastically.

"It's great."

"Awww good," said Ruby. "How's the bed?" She grinned and raised her eyebrows.

"RUBY!" cried Charlie in a scolding tone. She realised she should have known better than to enter into a conversation about her and Joey. She decided to give her sister a little more information than she needed to know – as punishment. She bit her lip and admitted, "Well actually ... for your INFORMATION ... we ... kinda ... broke it last night."

Ruby's jaw dropped. She didn't think Charlie would ever tell her something like THAT! It shut her up! She was completely speechless as she tried to block out the mental image Charlie had just forced, unwanted, into her mind. Charlie smiled – her plan had worked.

"I need to talk to you, Rubes." Charlie sat down beside her.

Ruby looked at her worriedly. She wondered if something was wrong and she held her breath, waiting for Charlie to speak.

"Joey needs my help ... to get her place sorted out ... sooooo ... I was hoping to spend a bit more time with her ... and stay over there some nights too. I just wanted you to know that I'm not ... abandoning you or anything. I'll still be here a lot too. Is that okay with you?"

Ruby hadn't really considered the prospect of not seeing her sister as much, and the thought suddenly made her a little sad, however, she considered Joey to be the best thing to ever happen to Charlie, and she was happy for her – even if it did mean seeing her a bit less. She grinned. "Sure, Charlz ... and if it means you guys wont be goin' at like rabbits it in here anymore ... then I'm all for it!"

Charlie giggled and slapped her arm playfully before hugging her tightly. There was no point in telling her off anymore – it wouldn't stop the teasing! Ruby was getting too much of a kick out of seeing her big sister squirm.

"Just make me one promise, Charlie," Ruby said earnestly.

"Sure ... what is it?"

"Promise you'll never tell me anything about your sex life EVER AGAIN!"

Charlie laughed out loud.

"It's just too ... traumatising," Ruby added, giggling.

Charlie loved her little sister very much and she'd promised her many times that she'd always be there to protect her. She made a mental note to make sure she would not spend too much time away from home in the future. Where Joey was concerned, spending lots of time at her place could be a very easy thing to do!

--------x--------

Joey heard a knock at the door. It was Charlie. She opened it and frowned a little. "Where's your key?"

Charlie looked guilty. "Err ... I dropped it on the bedroom floor last night. Forgot to pick it up before I left this morning."

Joey remembered why she had dropped it and smiled at the sweet memories of the night before as Charlie walked past her into the living room. The room sounded differently to Charlie. It had an echo the day before but now it was gone. Charlie immediately guessed why and looked around her, noticing the beautiful curtains adorning the windows in the living room. They were long, made from heavy material and they were a warm, but natural colour tone.

"Wow ... they look fantastic," she complimented.

Joey grinned. "I wanted to have them up before you got here ... took me nearly an hour to hang one stupid pair of curtains ... can you believe that? I was tearing my hair out trying to figure out what bit went where."

Charlie laughed out loud. She was sorry she had missed seeing Joey's frustration at her own lack of interior decorating skills and was convinced that she must have looked very cute indeed. They embraced in the middle of the living room, kissing tenderly.

Joey broke their lips apart to speak. "I'm going tomorrow morning to look at some beds and sofas ... they're second-hand but nearly new. Might be able to get a bargain. Do you wanna come with me?"

Charlie loved the idea, but suddenly remembered her promise to Ash. She took a deep breath as she prepared to tell Joey about their plan.

"Err .. I ... I can't tomorrow morning, Jo ... sorry." She smiled weakly.

"Why? Do you have to work?"

"No ... I promised a woman I met at work that I'd help her with her research."

"Research?" quizzed Joey. She was curious to know who was doing such a thing in a sleepy town like Summer Bay.

"Eh ... yeah. Yesterday I kind of ... arrested her ... and she hadn't done anything wrong. That's how I met her."

Joey giggled. Charlie blushed.

"She works for Sydney University ... a doctor ... protecting wild bird species ... and she's trying to find them here."

Joey was intrigued. She herself, a lover of wildlife, thought it sounded very interesting.

"She's having difficulties finding the right places to look ... and she asked me if I would show her around ... so I agreed. I know this area well ... and it's only for a few hours tomorrow morning."

"Wow ... that's great, Charlie. She sounds very nice."

"Yes ... she is. But anyway ... I want to go bed-hunting with you. We could go in the afternoon if that suits?"

Joey smiled and shrugged. "Sure. The question is ...," she said, wrapping her arms around her more tightly and bringing their lips close, "what are we going to do _now_? We have all night ... just me and you." She raised her eyebrow enticingly.

Charlie took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom. She knew exactly what to do.

--------x--------

One hour later. The mattress had sustained their lovemaking for a second night in a row, and they were far from finished. Naked and writhing in unison, they kissed hungrily. Having already sated one another, they were now in the middle of their second, very noisy session. Their tongues clashed as they explored one another. Joey felt the roughness of Charlie's taste buds against the smooth underside of her own tongue. It felt so good to her – incredibly intimate. Charlie slid sideway and lay beside her lover, their lips remaining locked, kissing deeply. She moved tight against Joey's body, and delicately ran her fingers all the way from her neck down to her tummy. She lowered them further, slipping them between Joey's thighs. She gently pulled Joey's leg towards her, then slid her other leg further away from her, spreading them apart. Joey held her breath in anticipation of the feel of Charlie's fingertips on her. She slid her fingers closer – slowly. Joey's chest heaved as she breathed harder and harder. Charlie's fingers moved to within millimetres of their destination. She broke their lips apart, pausing to look at Joey's expression as she tantalised her further. Joey's big brown eyes could not focus at all, and they silently pleaded for Charlie to touch her.

Suddenly Charlie pulled her hand away and sat upright, then she slid herself downwards until her lips hovered over the exact location that her fingers had just rested above. For Joey, it was even more torture. Charlie breathed hard, making sure Joey could feel her exhalations against the very softest part of her flesh. Joey arched her back upwards, needing to bring her body closer – make contact - but Charlie responded by moving with her. She loved to tease Joey and she wanted to bait her – and make her wait. She kissed Joey's inner thigh softly. Joey exhaled at the feel of her lover's lips in that sweet place. It was one of her many erogenous zones. Charlie kissed her other thigh, then kiss the very top of her leg.

Joey could take no more. "_Just do it already!_" she breathed.

Charlie giggled at her impatience, then did as she was instructed. Joey moaned loudly as Charlie began to pleasure her. She raised her arms above her head, stretching them outwards as far as she could. She could just about touch the wall behind her with the tip of her middle finger. She wished she could have placed the palms of her hands firm against it to steady herself. _I gotta move this mattress closer tomorrow_, she thought.

Charlie intensified her efforts quickly. She knew exactly how to please Joey, and she loved the noises she made when she aroused her. She was about to bring her fingers into play, but she soon realised that was not going to be necessary. Joey's gasps and moans, and her sudden writhing told her that she was fast approaching orgasm. _She's all mine now_, Charlie thought to herself.

Joey's body stiffened as she gushed – the pulsations between her legs overwhelmed her and she cried out involuntarily, almost screaming. Charlie fought the urge to giggle at her lover's new-found volume. She'd never heard her do that before and it made her blissfully happy.

Joey relaxed her body. Charlie climbed up across the mattress to lie beside her. They embraced slowly, completely drained by their night's liaison.

"I'm exhausted," whispered Joey as she lay with her eyes closed, trying to recapture her breath. "Putting up those curtains really has taken it out of me." She raised her head, opened one eye and smirked at Charlie, awaiting her response.

Charlie giggled and kissed her very tenderly. Joey always knew how to make her laugh in the most intimate of moments, and for her it made them all the more special.

Joey slipped her arm around Charlie's neck, pulling her close. Charlie rested her head against Joey's chest, closed her eyes and listened to her lover breathing. She could hear the rhythm of her heart beating as it gradually slowed to a normal pace. The sound was so comforting it almost sent her to sleep. Joey opened her eyes and lay there, deep in contemplation – thinking nothing but nice thoughts.

"God ... I'm so in love with you, Charlie," she said eventually - the words sounding almost as though she was amazed at her own ability to adore someone so much. She never thought she could ever feel as much love for another human being as she did for her.

Charlie opened her eyes and raised her head slowly to look at her. They were the sweetest words in the world, and said with such honesty. "You're a bit of alright yourself," she joked.

Joey giggled. Charlie relished the feeling of the woman she loved, heaving with laughter beneath her. "I'm in love with you too," she whispered.

They kissed one last time that night before sleep overcame them.

To be continued ...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Their second morning of waking up together in their very own private space was every bit as good as the first. Charlie had awoken before Joey this time, and had got up early to make breakfast for them. The muscles in her legs ached and they felt a little shaky whenever she walked. The night before had been even more energetic than usual, and it was now taking it's toll on her. Even a hard workout at the gym never made her feel so drained as this, but she was in no way complaining.

Joey had entered the kitchen and was greeted by the woman she loved, and by the smell of hot coffee. A perfect way to start the day, she'd thought. Charlie prepared them some cereal. They had bought two new bowls the previous day just for the occasion. As Joey approached, she'd noticed that Charlie had also made a fruit salad for them. Instantly she was reminded of their time in the jacuzzi back at the beach house and she smiled at the happy memories that came flooding back.

They kissed, gazing into each other's eyes – a silent '_Good Morning_.'

Joey looked around her and realised something important. "Damn ... we don't have anywhere to sit and eat breakfast yet," she said, looking a little disappointed. She wanted their first breakfast in the apartment to be better than this. She wasn't aiming for perfection ... just a little more comfort, perhaps.

Charlie smiled at her. "We'll get something soon," she reassured her.

Joey's expression of sadness quickly turned into a smile. She walked over to the rear window and looked outside. Suddenly her eyes lit up.

"Aww fantastic," she declared.

Charlie wondered what she had seen to make her so jovial all of a sudden.

"There's some kind of garden out there, with tables and chairs. It must be there for of all the tenants on the lane to use. No-one's there. Lets go!"

Charlie loved the idea. They picked up their bowls and coffee cups and made their way outside to share breakfast in the morning sunshine.

--------x--------

Charlie arrived at the Diner at exactly 9 a.m. Ash was sitting waiting for her at one of the tables, her laptop open in front of her. She smiled and waved at Charlie to join her. Charlie walked towards her. She felt a little nervous but didn't know exactly why. Maybe it was because she didn't really know her all that well, she thought. It was the explanation she was most comfortable with and she settled for it, not wishing to consider the alternative.

"Good morning," greeted Ash. "Perfectly on time."

Charlie looked at Ash's dark-green outfit, realising that her own outfit may be unsuitable for the task ahead. "Oh ... is what I'm wearing okay for bird watching? I guess I should have asked you yesterday." She was wearing the same clothes from the day before, and hadn't had time to go home and change.

"Sorry ... that's my fault. I should have advised you." She looked at Charlie's clothes. "You've chosen your outfit well. Darker colours are best for this type of thing. No yellows or reds or giant polka dots ... so you'll be okay. Are you ready to go?"

Charlie hadn't 'chosen' at all. It was a fluke, but she kept that part quiet. "Yeah ... sure ... I'm ready," she said.

Ash closed the cover of her laptop and slipped it into her bag. She stood up and gathered the rest of her things. As they walked towards the exit, Colleen emerged from the kitchen. She glared at Charlie. _How many girlfriends does that woman have?_

"My car's just over here," said Ash, pointing towards the other side of the road. "First of all ... I'll show you the map I have. I've marked all the places I've already been. Then maybe you can show me any others you can think of."

Charlie thought it was a very good plan of action.

--------x--------

An hour and three quarters had passed. Charlie had taken them to several areas. Ash made a note of them on her map for future reference. They were now in an area of beautiful wildflower meadow, the perfect place to find birds – plenty of feeding insects to eat. They sat on the ground beside one another. Ash peered through her binoculars into the distance. She made a note of each species she spotted, and their numbers.

Charlie watched her work. She was impressed by her knowledge and passion for wildlife and she was keen to learn more about her.

"So how did you get into this kind of career?" she asked.

Ash lowered her binoculars to look at her. "When I was a kid I loved all creatures ... they fascinated me. Well ... all except spiders. Urrgggh. Just looking at them sends shivers down my spine. Never could get over my fear of them."

Charlie smiled. They had something in common. She didn't like them either.

"But anyway ...," continued Ash, "... when I finished school I went on to study zoology at university, and now my job is ... going out into places like this ... helping to protect our natural world ... with the help of as many beautiful police officers as I can manage to pick up along the way."

Charlie laughed, blushing as she did so.

"So what about you?" asked Ash. "Why did you join the police?"

"My dad was a detective ... and he was my complete idol."

"Ah ... I see. You wanted to follow in his footsteps, right?"

"Yes .. I guess so. But that's only part of the reason. I really love the work."

"You're very good at what you do, Charlie. I mean ... I've only been arrested once in my entire life ... and if I ever had to go through it again ... I'd be happy to have you be the one to do it. It went very ... smoothly, I think!"

Charlie grinned. Was she being teased again? Just a little maybe?

"If you don't mind me saying, Ash ... your accent is a little ... unusual!"

"Well that is because I'm originally from Ireland."

"Wow ... really?"

"My family moved here when I was thirteen," Ash explained. "I was absolutely amazed by the wildlife I saw when I got here. Nothing like anything I'd ever seen in Ireland. Very unique. I fell in love with the place instantly. When my mum and dad told me we were moving ... I cried at first ... for days. I didn't want to go. They didn't tell me how beautiful it would be. And they didn't tell me about Huntsman spiders either!"

Charlie laughed out loud.

Ash continued ... "If I'd known about them before I came, my family would have had to drag me all the way to the airport ... kicking and screaming. They're bloody HUGE! There aren't any spiders in Ireland anywhere NEAR as big or scary as those things. And what's worse ... I saw my first Huntsman just a few hours after getting off the plane. I was convinced they were going to be everywhere I looked. Thankfully I was wrong."

Charlie laughed harder and gave her a look of sympathy.

"It's believed to be a throw back to our primate ancestry, you know?"

Charlie's expression turned into one of puzzlement. What did she mean?

"Our innate fear of spiders, I mean. For thousands, probably millions of years ... primates have built their nests high up in trees to protect themselves from deadly spiders and snakes. Even today, the biggest male chimpanzees can be afraid of them. Ever wonder why most humans build their bedrooms upstairs and not on the ground floor?" She raised an eyebrow.

Charlie thought about her words. They made perfect sense. She was learning a lot today - and she was having fun. Besides, she loved being outdoors in such picturesque places.

Ash raised her binoculars again, having heard a bird call she recognised. Charlie watched her as she adjusted the focus. She thought she looked even more attractive today, and in the sunshine her eyes gleamed brightly. They looked beautiful, she thought. And it's okay to appreciate another woman's looks, isn't it? It's just admiration – nothing more.

"Ahh ... bingo!" exclaimed Ash. "Charlie ... I think you've done it." She adjusted the focus some more. "Eh ... YESSSS!" she cried, suddenly becoming very excited. "It IS .... YOU'VE FOUND THEM ... CHARLIE YOU'RE BRILLIANT ... OH GOD I COULD KISS YOU!" she exclaimed, not taking her eyes off the binoculars – or the subject of her elation.

Charlie looked at her in surprise, her eyes widened, in fear and anticipation of what Ash would do next.

Still holding the binoculars up, Ash took her eyes away from the eyepiece, glanced at Charlie, raised her eyebrow and finished her sentence ... "but I won't." She winked at her and smiled.

Charlie blushed. _There's that flirtation thing again_, she thought. _Joey wouldn't like this one bit_.

Ash took her binoculars from around her neck and handed them to Charlie. She pointed across the meadow. "Look over behind that shrub in the middle of the field."

Charlie raised them to her eyes and adjusted the focus to suit her own eyesight. Through the lenses, she spotted a beautifully small, brown bird with a mottled breast.

"That ...," explained Ash, "... is an Eastern Bristlebird and it's now on the critically endangered list. Beautiful little thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah it's lovely."

"I'm just going to try to determine how many are here at this location ... and then we're done."

Charlie felt a little sad. She was having a good time. "We don't have to rush back. I can stay for a bit longer ... if you like." She smiled at her.

Ash looked at her. Her eyes lit up. She wasn't going to say no to that kind of offer.

--------x--------

Joey sat on her mattress, reading her collection of history books. She'd soon be starting her new job and she wanted to put the finishing touches to her blurb. She was looking forward so much to the afternoon ahead. Going furniture shopping with Charlie would be fun – she knew it. If she could at least find a new bed and a sofa, they'd have two places to chill out – one in the bedroom and one in the living room. They hadn't spent any time in there at all yet.

She was reading a chapter about the bay. It read ... '_As of 2007, forty-seven shipwrecks have been located off the coast of Summer Bay.'_ She made a note. That would be a very interesting fact to tell the visitors. Her mind wandered off again and she thought about Charlie. She was finding it hard to think about anything else, these days. She couldn't wait to see her again – even though they only parted a few hours ago. Trying her best to concentrate on her work, she read on.

--------x--------

Charlie and Ash sat in the bar at the Surf Club. Ash had fulfilled her promise of lunch and they were almost finished.

"So tell me a bit more about yourself, Charlie," she said. "Are you married?"

Charlie froze. She had only just realised that Ash had no idea she was in a relationship with another woman. Charlie had automatically assumed that she had sensed it already, and she'd also assume it was the reason for her flirtatious behaviour. Maybe she had read too much into Ash's words. Maybe she was only kidding with her. The thought relaxed her a little bit.

"No ... I'm not married ... but I am in a relationship."

Ash smiled at her and began to take a sip of her drink.

"Her name is Joey."

Ash almost choked on her glass, fizzy drink threatened to stream down her nostrils from the inside. Her brow furrowed deeply as she eyed Charlie up and down. She grinned widely.

"Wow, Charlie ... do you know what this means?"

Charlie didn't know. She shook her head and frowned.

"It means ... that my gaydar must be completely broken! I had absolutely no idea! How long have you guys been together?"

Charlie blushed a little. "Just a few weeks."

"Ahh ... so you're probably still in the 'can't keep your hands off each other' stage ... am I right?" She smiled warmly.

Charlie blushed again. "You could say that ... yes!"

"Fantastic! How did I not see it before? I'm usually so good at figuring people out, especially gay people." She made sure she said the word 'gay' in a low voice, unsure if it was common knowledge in the bay. "Do the locals know?" she whispered.

"Not yet. Well ... some do ... but I think pretty soon everyone will know," she said as she thought about Colleen and the Diner.

"You are definitely full of surprises, Charlie Buckton ... wow." She scratched her head in amusement. "Maybe we could all meet up here sometime before I go back to Sydney. I have to meet the lucky woman who wakes up with you every morning." She smirked.

Charlie smiled at the compliment. "Sure. I'll talk to Joey this afternoon."

--------x--------

It was almost 2 p.m. Joey could hear the sound of a key turning in the front door lock. She rushed from the bedroom into the living room to greet the only person she knew that had a key. Charlie entered, smiling at the lovely sight before her eyes.

"Hey," they said in unison, embracing in the middle of the room. They nuzzled close, burying their faces in each other's necks. The delicate scents of two perfumes mixed in the air. They kissed.

"How'd it go today ... with the doctor lady? Did you guys find anything?"

Charlie pulled Joey tightly into her own body and kissed her tenderly. "Let me tell you all about it."

To be continued ...


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: Hi there. I must say it's been very interesting to read your responses to this storyline. Ash certainly seems to be causing a stir - perfect! Some like her – some don't. I should have called her Marmite – you either love her or you hate her. Thank you for your feedback. It's always appreciated. FirstCenturyBC

Chapter 11

"She's WHAT?" Joey's mouth dropped.

"Yep. Got a girlfriend who works with her at the University. She's one of us!" declared Charlie. "And she wants to meet you sometime ... before she goes back to Sydney."

Joey's initial reaction was one of amusement. She had not even considered the possibility of there being a third gay person in town and she was quite pleased about it, but her happy thoughts soon turned sour when she remembered that the very same doctor had asked Charlie to spend time with her that morning. She felt a little jealousy kicking in, and fought hard to resist allowing it to materialise.

"So ... what does she look like ... this doctor?" she asked, trying her best to make her words sound as though she was just curious, nothing more.

Charlie knew this was coming. "What do you mean? Do you mean ... is she pretty?"

"Exactly!" Joey raised her eyebrow, awaiting Charlie's description, and knowing that her response would tell all.

Charlie grinned at her. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Joey bit her bottom lip and scrunched up her face. Her attempts to keep the green-eyed monster at bay had failed miserably.

"No ... I'm not jealous," she lied. She wrapped her arms round Charlie and pulled her close. "Just as long as the only birds she's after have beaks and feathers. This one's already taken."

Charlie laughed aloud and moved closer for a kiss.

--------x--------

The furniture shop had been very busy for the three quarters of an hour that they had been there. The seven mile drive there was easy, but finding a parking space hadn't been. They looked around at the assortment of sofas and beds on offer. Some of them looked new. Joey was quietly pleased at the choice. She was sure they would find something to suit.

"This one's really nice," said Charlie, pointing to a big comfortable sofa in the corner. "And it'd match perfectly with the curtains."

Joey agreed.

A mother and her two young children were close by, the youngest in her arms. The elder of the two, a boy, ran around the shop causing havoc, jumping on beds and sofas, and throwing whatever he could find around the shop floor. His mother was completely oblivious to his wrecking.

Joey looked thoroughly unamused by it all. The little boy, who was no more than four years old, ran past her and kicked his mother on the leg. Then he began to cry. Finally the woman decided to do something about the unruly child and picked him up. She looked at Charlie and Joey standing next to her and apologised, "Sorry ... he's just tired." She walked away with with her offspring, one under each arm.

Joey scowled. "_He doesn't look all that tired to me_," she muttered in a low voice to Charlie. "_He's been jumping up and down on that bed for the past twenty minutes ... the little shit!_"

Charlie giggled at her sudden grumpiness.

"Y'know I hate it when parents try to blame their kids' bad behaviour on tiredness," Joey lamented. "It's such utter crap. They're just badly behaved little brats ... bad when they're tired ... and just as bad when they've only just woken up. Tiredness has nothing to do with it!"

"Well aren't you just bursting with the spirit of Mary Poppins today," teased Charlie. "I thought you loved kids."

"Kids? Yes. Little monsters? No."

Charlie couldn't agree more.

"Can I help you ladies," came a voice from behind them. They turned around to see a chubby, older man, smiling at them.

"Yes ... I think you can," replied Joey with a smile.

--------x--------

It was lunchtime the next day. The previous afternoon's furniture shopping had gone well. They had found a nearly new bed and had gotten a great deal on it and the sofa they liked from the owner of the business. He had offered to deliver to them within 24 hours, so they were due at any time. They looked forward to having somewhere proper to sleep and chill out.

Joey stood in the kitchen, making them something to eat. Her culinary efforts were interrupted by her phone beeping. She picked it up and looked at the display. It was a message from Steve Corbett from the zoo. She read it, then looked at Charlie. "Steve wants to know if you've picked a name yet for your little bundle of fluff and fangs yet. What shall I tell him?"

Charlie smiled and thought for a few moments. "Y'know ... I really like Ruby's idea. I think I'm going to call him Ruben."

"Well ... it is kinda perfect!" agreed Joey. "Want me to send him a text back?"

"Yes! Hey do you think we might be able to take Ruby to see him sometime soon ... before he gets too big to cuddle? She'd love that."

"Yeah absolutely. I'll let Steve know." She began her reply ...

_'Hi Steve. She has chosen the name Ruben._

_Mighty fine name for a lion, don't u think? ;)_

_Thank u again for everything._

_We'll arrange to come back soon._

_Charlie would like to bring her sister to see him_

_if that's ok with u._

_Will call u – Joey x'_

Charlie came up to her and threw her arms around her. "Thank you ... again ... for doing all that. That's the most amazing thing that anyone has ever done for me."

"You're welcome," whispered Joey.

"So what do you want to do later tonight?" Charlie enquired.

"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed, "... how can you even ask a question like that when there's so much choice ... We could watch a DVD on our invisible television and invisible DVD player ... or we could share a nice romantic meal at our invisible dinner table. Orrrr ... we could-"

Charlie laughed out loud. "Alright alright ... I get the picture. Sooooo ... I guess it'll be another night in the bedroom? We'll have our new bed ... and sofa!" She had a look of mischief on her face that Joey adored.

Joey was in the mood to tease. "Maybe ... if you're lucky."

Charlie was feeling very lucky. She kissed her softly on the lips.

--------x--------

Joey looked at the time. It was just gone 5 p.m. and the furniture guys hadn't arrived yet. _Typical_, she thought. Just as she had resigned herself to the idea that they were not going to come that day, a knock came to the door. She opened it.

"Delivery for you," said the burly man.

"Aww hey. Yeah ... just bring them on in."

Charlie had gone over to Leah's to see Ruby, and so Joey was looking forward to her reaction to the new additions to the household when she would get back later.

The man and his colleague arrived at the front door with the sofa first.

"Where do you want it, Miss?"

Joey thought for a few moments. "In the middle, please."

They carried out her request, then went back to their van to get the bed. Joey looked at the sofa. It really was a perfect match for the room and she knew Charlie would love it.

A few minutes later the men arrived back with the bed. It looked heavy and Joey watched them as they struggled to get it through the front door. The man in front wore a very loose pair of jeans - too loose, in fact. His bum cleavage was on display for all the world to see. It amused Joey very much. She was very tempted to wolf whistle – just to see how he would react. Men don't have to put up with that kind of thing, and he'd get a taste of what women have to live with, she thought. She decided against it. He might take it the wrong way. She watched as they took the bed into the bedroom and set it down.

"Do you want it put against a wall?"

Joey thought again for a few moments. "Against the rear wall, please, but in the middle."

They shifted it to the location she wanted, then left, wishing her good luck in her new apartment.

Joey looked at the bed. She knew it would be really comfortable, and she was confident this one wouldn't break the first time they 'used' it! Now all she had to do was make it up with clean sheets before Charlie got back.

--------x--------

One hour later Joey's phone rang. She looked at the display and answered it.

"Hey," greeted Joey, her voice soft.

"Hey," replied Charlie. "Did they come?"

"Yes ... and they look great. You're gonna love them."

"I'm sure I will." Charlie was just as excited as Joey. Their new furniture would make living there a lot more comfortable.

"Can you stay tonight?"

Charlie smiled at the question. "Of course," she replied. "I start my shift early tomorrow, though. Would it be okay if I bring my uniform over, so I can go straight to work from here."

Joey loved the idea. "Sure! Charlie ... you don't even have to ask me about stuff like that."

"Okay ... see you later!"

They said their goodbyes and Joey set her phone back down. She looked around her. The place was fast becoming like a real home for them, she thought.

--------x--------

Charlie arrived in the early evening with her night bag over her shoulder. When she opened the front door and entered the living room she gasped. The sofa looked as good as she'd imagined it would, and the room was softly lit by a pretty lamp Joey had bought earlier that day. Joey watched her reaction from the kitchen and it made her happy to see Charlie so pleased at their decision to buy it.

"It looks just perfect," said Charlie.

"Do you think it's in the right place? Or should we move it?"

"No I think it's just where it should be. Shall we try it out?" Charlie set down her bag and held out her hand for Joey to join her.

Joey came beside her and they sat down together, resting their heads back on the rear cushions and staring up at the ceiling. They felt as though they were sinking into a gigantic pile of feathers. It was so comfortable. Charlie reached out and took Joey's hand in hers again. Their fingers played together gently.

Joey sighed a sigh of happiness. "This is great ... and it's ours."

"Mmm yeah," agreed Charlie, closing her eyes. Suddenly she thought of something. "You know ... we're really starting to become the model happy couple here. I mean ... we're practically living together already."

Joey looked at her and smiled at the thought.

"Pretty soon, though, you're going to realise it was all a big mistake," continued Charlie. "You'll learn about all my bad habits ... things you won't like about me ... then you'll be sorry you asked me to stay so much ... you'll see!" She gazed into Joey's brown eyes.

Joey giggled. "What bad habits?"

Charlie thought for a few moments. "Umm ... I can't think of any right now ... but when I do I'll let you know."

Joey pulled her close and kissed her softly on the lips. "Well don't worry ... if you do start to get on my nerves ... I have an easy solution."

"Really ... what?" asked Charlie tenderly, their lips remaining close, almost touching.

"I'll just tell you to get lost ... and you'll have to go back to Leah's place! PROBLEM SOLVED!" She grinned in a way that would not have looked out of place if she'd had horns, a tail and a pitch fork.

Charlie burst into laughter and slapped her playfully on the arm. They kissed again, laughing softly as their lips came together. Charlie grabbed Joey around the waist, swiftly pulling her on top of her so that she was straddling her. Her hands were free to explore her lover's body, and she was going to make sure she took advantage of her position.

She slipped her fingers underneath Joey's t-shirt, caressing her back. Joey edged her body forward - to be closer to her. Charlie sensed exactly what she wanted, and wrapped her arms around her even more tightly, pulling their bodies as close together as she could. Their kisses became deeper as their hips began to gently thrust against one another, heightening their arousal.

Joey broke their lips apart and she gasped for air. She looked deep into Charlie's bright blue eyes and thought they looked more beautiful than ever before. She loved the curl of her eyelashes and when she smiled, her eyes always seemed even bigger and even more gorgeous to look at.

Charlie's breathing had become heavy and she wasted no time in raising Joey's t-shirt up over her head. She wanted to see her the way she liked her best – naked and writhing – and she was determined to make it happen right there on that sofa.

Joey kissed her hard. She traced the outline Charlie's lips delicately with her tongue, knowing how it always aroused her quickly. Charlie responded to the sensation. She leaned Joey backwards a little and kissed her neck, leaning forward and straining to reach her earlobe with her tongue. It was well worth the effort. Joey moaned softly, intensifying Charlie's desire for her. She loved that sound, and had been longing to hear it again all day.

Joey could feel tiny throbbings between her legs, all because of the sensitive touch of her lover. Charlie knew exactly how to touch her – where to kiss her, and how. Joey slid herself backwards as fast as she could, sliding off the sofa and landing on the floor - Charlie's legs either side of her body. She placed a hand on each of Charlie's knees, and slowly ran her fingers all the way up to her inner thighs. Charlie held her breath as they moved as high as they possibly could go. She looked at Joey, loving the look on her face as she concentrated on her actions. _Beautiful_, she thought. Joey grabbed Charlie's belt buckle and unbuckled it with ease. The button and zipper were next and she made short work of them.

Slipping her hands underneath Charlie's behind, she lifted her up off the sofa so she could remove her slacks completely, allowing them to fall on the floor. She gazed up at Charlie's beautifully tanned and toned legs, her eyes tracing from her toes all the way up to her briefs. She slipped her fingers around them and pulled slowly and teasingly. Their eyes met as she did so. A smile spread across Charlie's face as Joey continued her efforts to make her naked. Chalie raised her hips a little to help. Joey slid them downwards, trailing them with soft, wet kisses. Charlie exhaled at the feel of her lover's lips against her legs. Joey finished her kissfest with a tiny kiss on Charlie's big toe. It tickled Charlie and made her giggle. Joey sensed her ticklishness, so she tested it further, tickling the arch of her foot. Charlie's leg jerked.

"A-HA!," exclaimed Joey. "I've found your weakness!"

"Don't you dare," warned Charlie, but it was too late.

Joey grabbed her foot and tickled for all she was worth. Charlie's whole body flinched and she laughed uncontrollably, wriggling to free herself. Joey let go and grinned. She leaned in and kissed Charlie softly.

"Tell you what...," whispered Joey. "I'll tickle you with my tongue instead."

Charlie's eyes lit up. She lay back against the cushions, waiting for Joey to make her move.

--------x--------

It was 4:30 a.m. Joey awoke to the sound of a car door slamming outside. It had startled her. Charlie lay beside her, fast asleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes to help her focus on the walls around her. Suddenly she froze in fear. A dark figure loomed in the corner of the room. She began to panic. Her heart leapt. Who was it? What did they want? How had they got in there? She'd remembered to lock the front door, hadn't she? Her immediate thought was to protect Charlie. But how? She blinked several times, trying to force her eyes to focus more quickly than they seemed to be prepared to do. She needed to act quickly. Her pulse raced. The figure remained motionless. Why weren't they moving? Then she realised who the intruder was. It wasn't a who? It was an it. It was Charlie's uniform – hanging up on a hanger against the wall. She sank back onto the mattress and let out a loud sigh of relief. It was enough to wake up her lover and she opened her eyes to look at her.

"Joey ... what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"YOUR BLOODY UNIFORM JUST GAVE ME THE FRIGHT OF MY LIFE! I THOUGHT IT WAS A SERIAL KILLER!" She struggled to calm her nerves.

Charlie glanced across the room and suddenly realised what had happened. After Joey had fallen asleep, she had taken her uniform from her bag and hung it up in the bedroom. It hadn't occurred to her that it looked so frightening in the dark. She fought the giggles – and lost.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!" cried Joey. "I was about to grab one of those old broken bed legs over there to throw at it. It scared the crap out of me!"

Charlie laughed harder and snuggled close to her. "Aww babe ... don't worry. I'd have protected you."

Joey gazed into her eyes and grinned. "You would?" she whispered.

Charlie kissed her softly on the lips. She was completely won over by the cuteness of Joey's vulnerable side right at that moment. Joey wrapped her arms around her, still feeling a little bit scared and defenceless. She hugged Charlie tight, feeling immediately safer and contented. Their kiss deepened, becoming impassioned almost immediately. They began to feel their desire to make love to one another return to them. It was time for a little early morning fun.

To be continued ...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Joey looked at the time. It was 8:07 a.m. She had gotten out of bed along with Charlie to make some breakfast for her before she had to go to work. She'd made coffee and cereal, but no toast. She didn't have a toaster yet. Charlie was still in the bedroom getting ready and Joey sat patiently on the sofa waiting for her to emerge. In her lap were two of the books she needed for her research, and she leafed through the pages looking for some last pieces of information to give on her tour. Alf had asked to meet with her this morning. Her first boat outing was just days away, so she needed to make sure that she had her blurb ready today before she met with him. She should have completed her research days ago, but her mind had been elsewhere lately. All she could think about every day was spending time with Charlie, and moving in to her new apartment had been very time consuming.

She heard footsteps behind her. As she continued to read, she saw Charlie coming closer out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up from the book briefly to look at her. Charlie was buttoning the blouse of her uniform. Her hair was tied back. Joey thought she looked amazing. She had always secretly loved seeing Charlie in her uniform. It was very sexy and she always got a thrill being with her whenever she wore it - wherever she happened to be. But now things were different. She was going to be watching her putting it on – and taking it off again, seeing her half-naked in it. This put a whole new light on the matter.

As Charlie fixed the buttons, Joey could see just a little of her cleavage. _Oh god_, she thought ..._ I can't watch ... this is too much!_ She buried her head in her book again and tried her best to read on. She managed just two more words before her eyes were drawn upwards to her again. Charlie was now standing in front of her, with her back turned. She bent over to tie the laces of her boots, her pert behind now looming in front of Joey's face. She just HAD look!. That was it!

"CHARLIE!" she cried. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Charlie stood up, turned around and looked at her, frowning. "Can't do what? What's not fair?" She had no idea what was troubling Joey so much.

"Okay ... new rule ... you're gonna have to get changed at Leah's place from now on," said Joey, putting her hands over her eyes. "I can't handle it. That uniform ... it's just too ... too ..."

"Sexy?" asked Charlie with a smirk.

Joey nodded her head.

Charlie laughed out loud. "Mmmm ... Joey ... I didn't know it had this effect on you. Wish I'd known before."

Joey looked at her again, astonished. "DIDN'T KNOW? Haven't you ever looked at yourself in a mirror wearing that thing?"

Charlie glanced down at herself, frowning. She had never really considered it.

"Jeez, Charlie ... it's enough to turn even the straightest of straight girls gay! And I have to have all this work finished in two hours time. I've got to meet with Alf. So ... I can't watch! ARRRGH!"

Joey lifted her book up to her face, blocking her view of Charlie's slender uniformed figure. Charlie giggled at Joey's outburst and returned to tying her shoe laces. Her back was turned again. She lifted her head slightly and looked around to see Joey. Joey's head was poking out from one side of the book, watching her - and she was grinning.

Charlie burst into laughter. "You're supposed to be concentrating! STOP LOOKING!"

Joey lowered her book again. "How am I supposed to concentrate on _anything_ ... when you're standing there ... all bent over ... your butt sticking out at me ... looking so damned FIIIINE!"

Charlie grinned and stood up. She turned around face her again.

"_So ... if I were to do ...,_" Charlie said, moving to the sofa and climbing on top of her - straddling her, "_... this?_ _Would that be bad?" _Her voice was now a whisper.

Joey's jaw dropped instantly, as did her book. She pushed it to one side of her and gazed up at Charlie, then lowered her eyes slowly to capture the incredible sight. She held her breath. Charlie looked so beautiful, and hotter than ever before. To be teased this way by the woman she loved, who happened to be wearing an outfit that screamed power, authority and dominance was almost too much to bear. She closed her eyes, keeping her hands by her side. Neither woman embraced – they held back.

"Yessssss ... that would be bad." breathed Joey, her eyes remaining tightly shut.

Charlie watched her fight her arousal. It was very cute, she thought. "_And what if I were to do _...," she whispered, kissing Joey tenderly on the lips, "... _this_?"

"Mmmmmmmm. This isn't fair. You're such a tease, Charlie Buckton. LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Charlie giggled. She was enjoying watching Joey battle with her libido. She grabbed Joey's wrists and made her put them around her waist. They rested on top of Charlie's utility belt. The fabric of Charlie's blue blouse felt softer than Joey expected. She ran her fingers across it gently, before giving in completely and wrapping her arms around her lover, squeezing her tight and kissing her passionately.

"I have a feeling I'm going to make you very, very late for work," she whispered.

"Ditto," replied Charlie.

--------x--------

"Awww hey there love," greeted Alf when he saw Joey arrive at the Surf Club.

"Hey Alf. Sorry I'm late. I had to ... err ... I had a bit of trouble at home." She bit her bottom lip, hoping he'd buy it.

"Nothing serious, I hope."

"No ... no ... nothing serious ... but I discovered a leak in the sink of my new apartment this morning. Needed to call a plumber and get it fixed right away. You know how long those guys take to get anything done ... in between scratching their arses and drinking coffee."

Alf laughed. Joey felt bad, but resigned herself to the fact that it was just a little white lie. She didn't want to start things off on the wrong foot with her new boss by seeming to be a terrible timekeeper.

"No worries, love. So did you get your talk finished?"

She took a few sheets of paper from her back pocket and handed them to him. "I've written everything down that I want to say on here for you to take a look at. I've tried to put few funny lines in there too ... to help break the ice. I hope you like them."

"With your sense of humour, Jo ... I'm sure they'll be great."

He looked at her. Joey could see he was preparing to say something that he was perhaps a little uncomfortable with.

"So what does Charlie make of your new job?"

Joey froze. Why was he asking her what Charlie thought, she wondered. Surely he didn't know about them.

"It's just that ... I heard that you ... and Charlie ... are ... closer now." He was being very diplomatic.

_Colleen!_ She was a little surprised that the news had travelled that fast but it didn't really bother her. However, she knew that Charlie might not be so casual about it.

"Ummm ... she thinks it's great."

"And how are you girls settling in ... in your new apartment?"

_Jeez_, thought Joey, _does he know everything? And how did he find THAT out? Is there anything in this neighbourhood that isn't public knowledge?_

"We love it, Alf ... thanks for asking." She found his words quite touching. He wasn't judging them or looking down at them at all. She knew instantly that she was going to love working for him.

--------x-------

Afternoon arrived quickly. Charlie had answered a call from a very unfriendly member of the public and was now in need of a hard-earned coffee. She entered the diner and looked around. Leah was at the counter, talking to a woman, but Charlie couldn't see who she was. Her back was turned to her. She walked towards them, listening as Leah's fits of laughter became louder.

"Charlie ... hey!" Leah greeted as soon as she saw her. "I'd like you to meet someone. This is Ash."

Ash Ryan turned around and smiled.

Charlie blushed a little. "We've already met. Hi Ash. Very nice to see you again."

"Hi Charlie," greeted Ash. "Or should I call you by your title when you're in uniform? ... err ... Super Special ... err ... Senior Constable Buckton."

Charlie smiled. "Charlie is fine."

"It's great that you guys know each other already," Leah enthused. "I've invited Ash to dinner tonight ... and I'd love for you and Joey to come too."

Charlie could feel her heart palpitating. _Joey and Ash in the same room for an entire night could be disastrous. And on top of all that ... Ruby will be there too. She'll be relentless! _Charlie dreaded the thought of it, but she didn't want to disappoint Leah either.

"Err ... err ...," Charlie didn't know what to say.

"Oh come on Charlie ... it'll be fun," said Leah, trying her best to coax her friend to join them.

"Yeah ... it'll be fun," agreed Ash, playing along, "I want to meet the woman who stole your heart."

On hearing those words, Colleen appeared. She had tried her best to stay hidden as she listened to them, but was unable to mind her own business any longer. The conversation was just too juicy for her to stay away. One day Charlie was with Joey – then with this new woman, Ash.

"Ahh ... good afternoon, Constable Buckton," said Colleen. "Sounds like you've got quite a night ahead of you."

Charlie didn't appreciate the confirmation. She faked a smile. "Yeah ... thanks Colleen."

Colleen disappeared back into the kitchen, completely certain now that her instincts were right. Charlie shook her head. _Nosey old bat!_

"So Charlie .... will you come?" Leah persisted.

Ash looked at her, smiling - her eyebrows raised in anticipation of the answer.

"Ehhh ... I'll have to check with Joey and make sure she's free tonight ... but yeah ... sure ... we'd love to come. Thanks, Leah."

"Great!" cried Leah, happy that she would be having dinner with her best friends and her newest friend.

Charlie wasn't so optimistic. _Oh crap_, she thought. _This could be one hell of an awkward night!_

--------x--------

Charlie arrived at Joey's place around 5 p.m. Joey was there and looked as though she had just arrived home minutes before her. They embraced in the middle of the living room, kissing one another softly on the lips.

"How was your day?" Charlie asked.

"Pretty good ... yours?"

"Had it's moments. Hey ... we've been invited to dinner tonight ... over at Leah's."

"Great," crid Joey, grinning. She had missed spending time there lately – and she'd always loved it. The place had a nice atmosphere. "Who's coming?"

Charlie took a deep breath. "I'm not sure ... probably you, me, Leah, VJ, Ruby and ... Ash."

Joey's smile disappeared in an instant. Her eyes narrowed and she had a look of suspicion on her face.

"Is she?" she asked warily. From everything that Charlie had told her, she didn't trust this new woman at all.

Joey's jealous streak was beginning to emerge again and Charlie sensed it.

"Don't worry ... It'll be fine," she tried to convince her – and herself. "She won't bite."

Joey thought about it for a few moments. "Okay ... I'll go ... but if I think for one second that she's eye-humping you ... I'm gonna personally shove her into a suitcase ... and stick her on the first plane back to Ireland!"

Charlie laughed out loud at the threat.

Joey grinned, but there was at least some sincerity in her words. "I MEAN IT!" she added, sternly.

To be continued ...


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry for not posting sooner. This chapter has taken me a bit longer to finish. I wanted to get it just right for you guys. This one was really hard to write ... but a lot of fun to create. Hope you like it :-) - FirstCenturyBC

P.S. To summer009 ... I also hope this helps to cure you of your withdrawal 'shakes.' ;-)

Chapter 13

(or ... if you prefer ... Chapter 60 of the Moonlight Shadow Saga)

Joey searched through her clothes to find something to wear to Leah's house. Most of her stuff was still in plastic bags because she didn't have any drawers yet to put them into. Finding the outfit she was looking for was proving to be very difficult. She wanted to look her best for tonight. The doctor was going to be there and she was determined not to be outdone by her. What if she was too good looking? And too nice? She wouldn't know how to cope with that. Suppressing her jealousy had been hard enough up until now, and she hadn't even met her yet. How much worse would it be if they met face-to-face and she was beautiful, and was not the evil relationship-wrecker she had imagined her to be? She didn't even want to entertain that thought, so she pushed it out of her mind to concentrate on getting ready.

The apartment felt a little empty without Charlie there. She had already gone over to Leah's since most of her clothes were there anyway. After a few minutes she found the items she wanted and set them out. She went into the bedroom to put on her make-up and style her hair. Butterflies were beginning to invade her tummy.

--------x--------

The walk to Leah's house had been short for Joey, but awkward in the heeled shoes she had put on. They weren't particularly high; she just wasn't used to wearing them all that often, usually preferring footwear that was lower, less toe-crushing and less back-breaking! She was thankful that she'd be sitting down most of the evening, and decided that she would walk home barefoot if they hurt too much later that night.

She stood at the bottom of the footpath, hesitating before she made the short walk up to the door. After a swift running of her fingers through her hair, and a straightening of her clothes, she took a deep breath and approached the entrance. Ruby greeted her with a hug.

"Wow you look amazing, Joey! Come on in."

"Thanks Rubes. Where's Charlie?"

"She's in her room ... still getting ready."

Joey wasn't used lately to hearing Ruby speaking without teasing, and she realised it was only because Charlie was not present. She was sure that would all change very soon. They stood in the kitchen.

Joey looked around her, stretching her neck to peer into the living room. "Is ... is ... that Ash woman here yet?" she whispered.

"Err ... not yet. She should be here soon."

Joey felt herself relax a little, but she knew it was only going to be temporary. They heard footsteps as Leah entered the kitchen.

"JOEY! Heyyyyyy!" She hugged her tight. "You look beautiful ... oh my god. Charlie is going to faint when she sees you."

Joey smiled at the compliment.

"Someone say my name?" asked Charlie as she entered the room. She looked at Joey – and her mouth fell open. Joey was wearing a beautiful red dress – not too formal – but just right for the occasion. It revealed her bare shoulders and back. Charlie didn't even know she owned such a thing. She was completely flabbergasted at the sight before her eyes. Joey's hair was loose and flowing, and the lights above her made it shine all the more. Charlie gazed down at her legs. They looked very long and very sexy, accentuated by her red shoes. Charlie had never seen her wear heels before.

"Joey ... you look ... you look ..." Charlie could barely get the words out.

"Very do-able?" asked Ruby cheekily. The ribbing had begun - now that big sis was in the room.

Charlie barely noticed her sister's comment. She couldn't take her eyes off Joey, who stood there feeling a little bashful. Everyone was looking at her!

Leah briefly glimpsed a look of lust on Charlie's face and sensed that she wanted to greet her girlfriend properly.

"Err ... Rubes ... can you help me in the next room, please?" she said tactfully.

"Sure," she replied.

They left them alone.

Joey smiled warmly at her, then gazed down at Charlie's gorgeous outfit. She was wearing an azure blue, one-shoulder dress that was exactly the same colour as her eyes. It hugged her figure beautifully. She had styled her hair, curling the ends. It made her look like one of the original Charlie's Angels, Joey thought, and she was amused at the irony of it.

"You look gorgeous, Charlie."

Charlie came up to her and ran her fingers through her hair, then rested them against Joey's cheek. They gazed into each other's eyes, before Charlie drew her closer, gently, for a kiss. Their wet lips brushed together, deepening slowly into a passionate embrace.

Charlie broke them apart to speak. "You are so beautiful," she whispered.

The words made Joey's heart leap, and she forgot all about the guest who hadn't arrived yet -but it was short-lived. A knock at the door brought the butterflies flooding back instantly.

They both glanced across at the entrance, seeing their final guest through the glass. Her back was turned to them. Leah entered the kitchen to open it. For a moment, Joey feared that Charlie would pull away from her as soon as Ash saw them, but she hoped not. After all, Ash was gay – and she shouldn't be unused to seeing two women together. She awaited her reaction.

"Hey Ash ... you look great," greeted Leah, stepping back from to door to grant her entry. "Come on in!"

"Thanks, Leah ... you look great too ... and thank you so much again for inviting me."

Ash stepped inside and looked around, immediately spotting Charlie, with Joey still very much wrapped in her arms.

"Hi Charlie," she enthused. She made eye contact with Joey and smiled at her too.

"Hi Ash," replied Charlie. "I'd like you to meet Joey."

Ash's eyes lit up. "Hi Joey ... it's so nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand to greet her.

Joey smiled and reciprocated the gesture. "Hi." On the outside she was smiling, but on the inside she was gloomy. _Damn,_ she thought. _She's lovely. I hate her!_

"Would everyone like a drink?" asked Leah.

They all said yes. Leah had opened a bottle of white wine and poured a glass for them – all except Ruby. She took some grape juice instead. In her young mind, it was nearly wine!

Leah invited them into the living room to sit down and relax before they ate. Joey sat on the sofa, followed by Charlie. She took Joey's hand in hers. Ash sat in a single chair nearby. There were a few moments of awkward silence, before Ruby stepped in to break the ice.

"So ... Ash ... Leah's been telling me you're into birds," she said.

Ash's eyes widened. Charlie tried to stop herself from giggling at Ruby's innocent remark. She didn't know if Ruby was aware of how much it could be taken the wrong way, even though both interpretations were correct. She looked at Joey, who was biting her lip, trying to prevent herself from cracking up as well. Leah sidled out of the room in a hurry – she too was about to lose it!

Ruby looked around at them all, one by one, wondering what she'd said wrong.

"WHAT?" she asked, exasperated.

Ash smiled and shook her head in amusement.

"You mean my work ... yes ... at the moment I'm researching some endangered bird species."

"Yeah of course I meant you work. What did you guys THINK I meant?" she said confusedly, looking around at all of them again.

"They thought you were asking about the fact that I'm gay!" explained Ash matter-of-factly.

Ruby's mouth fell agape. Her eyes widened. "NO WAY! YOU'RE KIDDING?" Her voice was loud and high-pitched.

Leah entered the living room again when she heard Ash mention the G-word.

Ruby sat dumbfounded, processing the information in her head. "Dammit, Leah ....were outnumbered tonight!" she declared. "We'd better watch our backs!"

Ruby had broken the ice alright. She grinned proudly.

"Guys ... the food is ready. Come on in," said Leah. She took some food to VJ, who was in his room. He didn't want to eat at the table tonight with lots of grown up women. Besides, he was too busy playing his computer games.

--------x--------

Ruby was first to sit at the table – Joey sat down opposite her, with Charlie beside her. Leah sat at the head of the table. The only seat remaining was opposite Charlie. Ash took her place on it.

They began to eat.

"So Ash ... how long do you think you'll be able to stay in Summer Bay," asked Leah.

"I'm not sure ... just until I finish my work here ... then I have to move on."

As Ash spoke to Leah, Joey took the opportunity to study her closely, without her knowing. She looked at her bright blue eyes, which came alive every time she spoke. She was slim and athletic, and sickeningly good looking. Her yellow cross-strap dress was beautiful, and looked very expensive. She figured a doctor would be able to afford such nice things easily. Suddenly Ash caught her gaze, and smiled at her. Joey blinked, embarrassed at being caught staring. She smiled back at her, masking her true feelings.

"So Joey...," began Ash, "Charlie tells me you two got together quite recently, yes?"

"Err ... yes ... that's right," replied Joey - just being polite. Inside she was thinking it was none of her damn business!

"It's been just over three weeks now," chirped Ruby. "And guess what, you two?" she said, addressing Charlie and Joey. "For your one month anniversary ... I'm gonna get you guys some toys."

Charlie gasped - then glared at her. "You had _better_ be talking about Buzz Lightyear or somethin' ... _young lady_."

Joey, Leah and Ash grinned silently – too afraid to laugh. Charlie looked as if she was hopping mad.

Ruby grimaced. "Well actually ... I was thinking more along the lines of ... a Woody ... not a Buzz." She winked at her.

Charlie heard laughter all around her, but she was having none of it. She scowled at her little sister's innuendo.

"I'll talk to you later," she warned, pointing her finger at her.

--------x--------

Their meal continued. Joey noticed that Charlie and Ash had not spoken much to each other. Was it because of some kind of attraction between them? Sexual tension? The idea was making her nervous and she began to take large swigs from her wine glass. She wanted to know more about this woman and tried to think of a question.

"Ash ... Charlie told me she arrested you. Were you afraid?" she asked.

"Petrified!" came the reply. "One minute you're sitting there minding your own business ... and the next you're being escorted into a police vehicle by a female cop." She looked at Charlie and smiled, then turned to look back at Joey. "But she handled me very well ... she was very gentle," she said with a grin.

Joey's face became expressionless. She hid her inner frown and her mind raced._ HANDLED HER? Just where the hell did she handle her? And what does she mean by 'gentle'?_

"More wine, Joey?" asked Leah, who had noticed that Joey's glass was now empty.

"Yes, please," she replied through clenched teeth. Joey wasn't really a wine drinker – or a drinker of any sort. However, this night was getting to her already and it had only just begun.

Leah filled her glass and Joey immediately took a large swig of it. Charlie noticed how fast she was drinking and realised the reason why. She watched her and saw that every few seconds, Joey's eyes would dart across at Ash. Charlie felt bad about it. She didn't want Joey to feel uncomfortable. It was the last thing she wanted. As soon as she could get her on her own, she would talk to her – reassure her.

"Ash ... did you find any of the birds you were looking for?" asked Ruby.

"Umm ... yes I did, in fact ... all thanks to Charlie."

Ruby's eyes widened at the revelation. She was intrigued. "_Charlie_ helped you? How?"

"She very kindly agreed to go along with me ... and she helped me find the best habitats around Summer Bay. I couldn't have done it without her." She looked at Charlie and said - "Thanks again for all your help."

"It was my pleasure. Glad to have been of service."

Ash gave her a warm smile. Too warm for Joey's liking, compelling her to take another large gulp from her wine glass. It was almost empty again.

The room went silent once more. Suddenly Leah stood up. "I knew I forgot something. I meant to put on some music." She walked over to the portable CD player and picked out a disc to put on.

Moments later, the song 'Womaniser' by Britney Spears began to play out.

"Oh I like this song," said Ash enthusiastically.

Joey looked at her, frowning. _Yeah, I bet you do! _Her mood was worsening. Charlie looked at her, noticing her wrinkled brow. She tried to think of a way to ease her mind. Suddenly she thought of something.

"So Ash ... you mentioned the other day that your girlfriend works with you at the University. What does she do?" she asked, hoping that by getting Ash to talk about her own relationship, it might make Joey feel a little better.

"She's a palaeontologist. She travels around a lot ... going off to far away countries to dig for dinosaur bones. Sometimes I don't get to see her for several months."

"It must be hard to keep a relationship like that going, right?" added Joey.

Ash thought for a few moments. "No ... not really. Why would it be?"

"Well...," Joey began her reply, "spending all that time apart. Don't you ever feel like you want something more ... stable? Someone you'd see every day?"

Oh no, thought Charlie. She sensed exactly what Joey's questions were implying. Her plan had backfired horribly.

"Uhh ... no ... we stay in contact. It's easy nowadays ... what with texting and the internet. But I see what you mean. And yes ... sometimes I wish I were in a relationship where we lived together all the time ... not apart."

Charlie wondered if Ash could sense Joey's animosity towards her. If so, she hid it well, she thought.

The music changed. The opening bars of The Kings of Leon's 'Sex On Fire' played around the room. Charlie and Joey froze, then looked at each other. They smiled and blushed at the same time, their faces turning bright red. Neither had heard that song since the night of the concert. It brought back very nice, and very hot memories.

Ruby noticed their redness, her eyes darted from Charlie, back to Joey – then back to Charlie again.

"Why are you two blushing?" she blurted loudly.

Charlie and Joey turned even more crimson. They began to giggle nervously.

Ruby immediately realised the obvious. "OH MY GOD ... THAT SONG MUST ... YOU GUYS ... THE CONCERT ..." She was putting all the pieces together at once. Her mouth fell open and she gasped, putting her hand over her mouth briefly before letting everyone know exactly what was on her mind. "YOU TWO HAD SEX AT THE CONCERT ... IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT SONG, DIDN'T YOU?"

"NO!" they denied together, averting all eye contact with anyone else in the room. Their eagerness to refute only confirmed the truth of Ruby's claim. They looked at one another again, and as soon as they did, they burst into laughter.

"HA! I KNEW IT," cried Ruby smugly. "Do you two EVER go ANYWHERE that you DON'T end up doing it? Jeez .. next thing we know, you'll be at it right here on the dinner table as soon as our backs are turned!"

"RUBY!" cried Charlie. Her embarrassment had multiplied. She looked around the room, seeing the expression on everyone else's face - and guessing that they were probably picturing the image Ruby had just forced into their minds. She put her hands over her face and shook her head.

"It's nice to know that at least some of us are living the sex, drugs, and rock and roll lifestyle," said Ash.

"Well ... maybe not all of those things," corrected Charlie. "No drugs needed – or allowed," she said, reminding them of her role-model status as a police constable! She smiled at Joey, who smiled back at her - both recalling their memories from that wonderful night. Charlie was relieved. Joey seemed to be a little more relaxed now. However, she noticed that Joey's eyes were beginning to glaze over a little. Was she tipsy? She had drank just a few glasses of wine – but they were large glasses, and she didn't drink a lot. Charlie thought her inebriation looked very, very cute indeed. But what affect would it have on the rest of their dinner party? She'd have to wait and see.

To be continued ...


	14. Chapter 14

The dinner party continues ...

Chapter 14

"Hey can I have some wine?" pleaded Ruby.

"No!" replied Charlie firmly. "You're way too young."

"Oh come on, Charlie ... just a little glass ... please?"

"I SAID NO!" she replied, glaring at her to put an end to her persistence.

Charlie had no intention of saying yes. Ruby's tongue was already loose enough. Who knows what else she'd say if she were under the influence! Besides, they already had one tipsy guest at the dinner table - and Charlie could now hear her hiccuping loudly beside her.

She leaned closer to her. "Jo ... do you need a drink of water," she asked.

"Hic ... no thanks ... I'll be ... hic ... okay. Just need ... hic ... another drink of ... hic ...this," she said, reaching for her wine glass. Her eyes had trouble focusing on it.

"I think water would be better," Charlie said, hoping to convince her to drink something that would help sober her up a little - even though she felt that Joey made a very cute drunk indeed! She'd never seen her like that before. She stood up, walked over to the sink and filled a glass with cold water from the tap, then set it down beside Joey's wine glass.

"Thanks Ch-hic-Charlie."

Joey stared at the water for a few moments. It suddenly seemed very appealing. Her hiccups were starting to hurt her chest a little. She grabbed the glass and took a large gulp. A very strong hiccup took her by surprise as she drank, and she almost spilled it all over herself.

Charlie looked at Leah, then Ruby and then at Ash. They all were watching Joey, grinning in amusement at her attempts to cure herself. She took several more large gulps of water, which pleased Charlie. The more water Joey drank, she thought, the less likely it would be that she would need to carry her home.

Joey took a few deep breaths to see if her hiccups had gone. The water had finally won. She sat back in her chair in contentment.

"That feels much better." Her speech was a little slurred.

"You okay now?" Charlie asked tenderly.

Joey gazed at her and grinned dopily, fighting hard to stay focused on her blue eyes. "I'm perfect ... NO ... on second thoughts ... YOU'RE PERFECT!" she said, pointing her finger at her.

Charlie grinned at Joey's affectionate, mushy, wine-induced words. For a moment they both forgot where they were, and who they were with. They leaned in and kissed one another softly on the lips.

"Aww, how sweet," said Ruby. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

Their lips broke apart. Joey glanced across at Ash to see the expression on her face. As soon as their eyes met, Ash looked away.

_A-HA,_ thought Joey ... SHE_ IS JEALOUS. I knew it. She wants Charlie all to herself. Well ... she can't have her! I'll make sure of that!_

Ash had almost finished her meal. "This food is fantastic, Leah," she said. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"My family are all great cooks. They taught me everything I know."

"Do you cook, Charlie?" asked Ash.

Charlie shook her head. "Not much. I have a few favourites that I like to try once in a while ... but Joey's the real expert. Her seafood dishes are out of this world."

"Really? So you're a fish expert, Joey?"

Joey faked another smile. "Well sort of. I know how to catch them ... and I know how to cook them. So yeah ... I guess you could say I know a lot about them. Do you like fish?"

"Love it. My favourite food is sushi. For me ... the best way to eat fish is RAW ... with some soy sauce ... some wasabi ... no ... LOTS of wasabi ... chopsticks ... and warm Japanese rice wine. But it's so hard to find good sushi restaurants sometimes."

Joey was beginning to feel very uncomfortable in this conversation, not because she didn't like the subject matter – but she was beginning to feel that she had some good things in common with Ash. Could she be starting to like her? The idea didn't please her at all!

"Have you ever tried sushi, Joey?" Ash asked.

Joey hesitated in answering. It was one of her favourite foods – but she wasn't sure if she wanted to engage the enemy in conversation any more than was necessary. Finally she decided to answer honestly.

"Yes ... I love it. I've tried to make it myself ... but it's hard to do. It's a real work of art."

"Yes I agree totally," replied Ash.

Joey's inner frown returned. She didn't want this woman agreeing with her on anything – ever! Suddenly she noticed that her glass still had some wine in it, and she reached out to pick it up. Her eyes could not quite focus on it well enough and she misjudged the distance, knocking it over, and spilling the contents all over Ash's beautiful yellow dress. Ash stood up immediately, grabbing her napkin to soak up the wetness.

"Oh no," exclaimed Charlie. "Oh god Ash ... hold on. I'll get you a cloth or something."

Charlie went quickly into the bathroom to look for a clean cloth. Ruby and Leah glanced at one another, and tried their best not to giggle. They looked at Joey, who was sitting with her hands by her sides, staring at Ash's dress. She hadn't knocked the wine over on purpose at all, but she was secretly enjoying watching Ash's embarrassment - and she was too intoxicated to know better.

"Oops," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Sorry Ash." Joey almost sounded like she didn't mean it. She definitely was not her usual self.

"It's okay, Joey," said Ash. "Hey ... at least it's not red, right?"

Ash smiled at her and winked.

_Who the hell does she think she's winking at? I'll show her ... that bloody winking, birdwatching, womanising ... _She couldn't think of any more words to describe her.

Charlie arrived back in the kitchen with a cloth and began to help Ash daub her dress to soak up the alcohol. Joey's eyes widened at the sight of Charlie touching her and she frowned. She immediately felt a little bit more sober, and she suddenly realised that perhaps she was letting her jealousy get the better of her. This was not how she wanted to be tonight at all! The more she thought about it, the more she realised that Ash had not done anything wrong. Was it all in her head? She began to wonder.

"Thanks, Charlie," said Ash as they finished wiping her dress. She looked at Joey. "Joey ... is she always this good with her hands?" she asked, winking at her.

Charlie blushed. Joey faked another smile but inside she was fuming! That was it! She was taking back all the nice things she had just thought about her.

"Guys ... if you're all finished here we can move into the living room if you like," said Leah.

Joey was relieved to hear the words. Charlie was too close to Ash, for her liking – and she would much prefer if they were sitting at opposite sides of the room, or better still ... opposite sides of Summer Bay. _Opposite sides of Australia would be ideal_, she thought.

Ruby stood up, then Leah. Joey stood up last and stepped out from her chair. Suddenly she stumbled and almost lost her footing. Ash grabbed her arm, catching her and helping her steady herself. Joey gritted her teeth. She didn't want Ash to touch her anywhere. _How dare she!_

"Are you okay, Joey?" Ash asked, concerned for her wellbeing.

"I'm fine. My leg got stuck between the chair and the table ... that's all."

It was not exactly the truth. Joey was feeling very dizzy. The wine had gone to her head faster than she'd expected and she'd tripped over her own foot! Charlie took her by the hand and kept her by her side, allowing the others to go into the other room first. Their eyes met.

"Joey ... is everything okay? You don't seem yourself tonight." Charlie was hoping that Joey would open up and tell her how she felt about Ash, so that she would not have to ask directly.

"I'm fine ... honestly. I just feel a little ... strange. That wine is STRONG! Phew!"

Charlie could sense she was making excuses, skirting around the real issue. She gathered up courage to ask her more honestly.

"Is it Ash? Are you uncomfortable around her?"

"No," Joey said defensively. "She's really nice." She faked a smile, hoping it would appease Charlie. It worked.

Joey had made herself a promise that evening. She wasn't going to throw herself at Charlie all night, like some insecure teenager, just to make a point to the birdy doctor - nor was she going to make a scene. It wasn't her style. She'd always thought of herself as a person who could remain cool, even when her emotions ran high – and she was determined to prove to herself that she could do it this time too. At least she hoped she could!

"Shall we go in?" Charlie whispered.

Joey nodded. Charlie gave her a tender kiss on the lips. They entered the living room together, still holding hands.

The others were already seated – Charlie and Joey sat beside one another on the sofa.

"I'll just go open some more wine," said Leah. She got up and walked into the kitchen. Ruby switched on the tv, and flicked until she found a really good music channel. She always liked to have it playing in the background when she was with friends – and it usually gave people something to talk about.

Ash looked at the screen. A video for Snow Patrol's 'Run' came on. "Aww I love that song. And it's always nice to see these guys on tv. They're from my home country."

"Really," asked Ruby – intrigued. "Where's that?"

"I'm from Ireland ... the north."

"Wow. I guess ... now you mention it ... I had noticed something unusual in your accent," said Ruby.

Ash smiled at her. "Yeah ... so did Charlie."

Joey glared at her. _Stop talking about Charlie so damn much!_

"When you came to Australia, Ash ... did you find it hard to get used to our way of speaking?" asked Charlie.

"At first ... yes. Some of the words you use here have ... ehh ... very different meanings in Ireland."

"Like what?" asked Ruby. She was curious.

"Well ... it always used to make me laugh every time I heard an Australian refer to good looking people as spunks. I'd heard it mentioned in the soap operas back home all the time. They'd say ... '_Oh he's such a spunk ... _or_ ... 'he's spunky'_"

Ruby looked confused. In fact, they all did.

Ash looked at them all and giggled. "In my part of the world ... spunk means sperm."

"Ohhhhhh," said Ruby, grinning widely.

Charlie and Leah giggled.

"So I guess all Irish guys are are 'spunky', then?" Charlie remarked.

Ash laughed aloud. "Yeah ... well ... they all _have_ it, in the Irish sense of the word ... but I'm not so sure if they all deserve the Australian compliment. All you have to do is look at the lead singer from the Pogues to answer that one. Whatsisname? Shane McGowan."

Joey sat there, trying to hide her amusement at Ash's observations of cultural differences. Finally she gave in and smiled.

--------x--------

One hour later. Joey and Leah were in the kitchen. Joey was helping her open some more wine for them. The night was going well, Leah thought. Ash and Charlie were in the living room listening to Ruby talking about Xavier. Leah turned the corkscrew in her hand, whilst Joey helped her hold the bottle still. It was proving to be very awkward to open.

Finally the cork popped. "Jeez ... I thought this thing was never going to budge," exclaimed Leah. "What do you think of Ash, Jo? She's really nice, isn't she?"

Joey simply smiled and nodded as Leah headed off back into the living room. She waited until she was out of sight before giving her real answer. "Yeah ... she's awesome ... whoop de do dah!" she muttered sarcastically.

She followed Leah into the living room. As she entered, she glanced at the clock. It was approaching midnight. Leah and Ruby were talking to Ash. Joey sat down beside Charlie and lifted the wine glass that Leah had refilled moments earlier, taking a small sip of it. She glanced at Charlie. Her eyes were beginning to glaze over too, she thought. Charlie caught her stare and smiled at her. Joey leaned closer and whispered. "You are gorgeous." It made Charlie smile even more, and she kissed Joey tenderly.

Their lips parted after a long, lingering kiss. "So are you," whispered Charlie, "especially when you're tipsy like this. I think it's probably the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Joey blushed. "What ... even more cute than Ruben?"

Charlie giggled. "Ehh ... yeah." They kissed again.

A few moments later they heard Ash speaking. "Leah ... thank you for such a wonderful night. I really had a great time. The food was amazing ... as was the company," she added, looking around at all of them.

"It was great to meet you, Joey," Ash said, walking towards her.

Joey and Charlie stood up to bid her goodbye. Ash hugged Joey and kissed her on the cheek.

"Sorry about the wine," said Joey. She was sincere this time.

"Don't worry about it." Ash reassured her. "Happens to me all the time." She hugged Charlie and kissed her cheek too.

Joey didn't like seeing it, nor did she like seeing Charlie smile as Ash embraced her, but she couldn't bring herself to think there was anything more to it this time. Besides, she had done just the same to her moments earlier. Maybe Ash was okay after all – or maybe she wasn't. Her jealousy wouldn't allow her to make up her mind.

They all walked Ash to the door and said their goodbyes for the night.

--------x--------

After several more minutes, Charlie and Joey made plans to go home.

"Well ... thanks for a great night, Leah," said Joey, hugging her and Ruby.

"Are you staying at Joey's, Charlie?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah," she replied. "besides ... she'll need someone to nurse her sore head in the morning," said Charlie, winking at her little sister.

Joey pretended to be offended. "I'm purrrrfectly okay!" The slurring in her words disagreed with her statement. It made Charlie giggle.

They waved goodbye and made their way back to Joey's apartment. Charlie wrapped her arm around her waist to help steady her as they walked.

Joey gazed into her eyes again and smiled. "As soon as I get you home I'm soooo gonna ... gonna ..."

Joey was thinking very rude things and felt the need to whisper them in Charlie's ear, even though no-one else would hear them. Charlie listened as she spoke. A look of shock spread over her face.

She'd never heard her talk like that before. Her jaw dropped.

"Is that a promise? Cos I have a feeling you're gonna fall asleep on me as soon as your head touches down on the pillow."

"NO WAY! I mean it. As soon as we get home ... I'm gonna ..." Joey was about to finish her sentence, but was cut off by the overwhelming urge to yawn.

Charlie laughed. Drunk Joey was getting more adorable by the second, she thought.

As they walked through the night air, they felt the full effects of the alcohol kick in. Neither were sure if they could stay awake much longer.

--------x--------

Charlie opened the door for them, still holding Joey around her waist. She locked it again and helped her into the bedroom. She was feeling quite dizzy herself. Joey took Charlie's hands in hers, and gazed into her eyes.

"I love you, Charlie."

Even though Charlie knew her profession of love was aided by the wine she'd drunk, she also knew her words were sincere.

"I love you too," whispered Charlie.

They kissed one another softly on the lips. Their kiss soon deepened, becoming passionate. They wrapped their arms tightly around one another and closed their eyes. Dizziness quickly overcome them and they fell on the bed together.

Charlie raised herself up to look at her. "How's your feet? Hurting?"

Joey giggled. "Like hell."

Charlie sat up and looked down at the woman she loved lying below her, who was looking up at her in her gorgeous red dress. She ran her fingers down her smooth, silky legs, then unbuckled her shoes for her, dropping them on the floor. Joey sighed with relief and wriggled her toes.

Charlie took of her own shoes, then lay back down beside her. They became wrapped in each others arms as tiredness and wine began to take their toll.

They shared more lingering kisses than they could possibly count. Neither spoke a word. They didn't have to.

Charlie broke the silence. "I want to go asleep ... but I can't stop kissing you," she whispered as she kissed her again.

Joey giggled. "Let's get out of these clothes first."

They sat up and helped one another undress, then lay down again, resuming their embrace. They pressed their lips together.

Within moments, sleep stole their consciousness.

To be continued ...


	15. Chapter 15

The morning after ...

Chapter 15

Joey awoke. The light rays penetrating her room, and her eyelids, told her that morning had arrived. She could feel her head pounding already and no matter which way she turned, she couldn't ease the pain. Her mouth was dry and she felt very, very dehydrated. She tried to open her eyes, but the throbbing forced her to shut them tight again. Charlie was still fast asleep beside her, facing away from her. She desperately needed to get a drink of water from the kitchen, but her dizziness persuaded her to stay where she was – and not move.

She had no idea what time it was. Her phone had been left on the bedside cabinet, she remembered, because she didn't need it the night before. She reached over and picked it up, peering at the display through one half-opened eye. It read 7:35 a.m. Setting it back down, she groaned and fell back onto her pillow. Her sudden movement induced a searing pain in her head. She cried out in agony, waking the sleeping beauty beside her. Charlie turned around to face her.

"Joey ... what's wrong?" Her expression was full of concern.

There was silence for a few moments. Joey felt almost too embarrassed to reply. Finally she admitted in a tiny voice -

"My head ... it hurts."

Charlie giggled.

"Could you _please_ not laugh so _loud_," she pleaded. In her delicate condition, the sound was almost deafening.

Her words only served to make Charlie worse and she laughed harder. "Not really a wine drinker ... are you, babe?"

Joey exhaled loudly as she thought about Charlie's words.

"No!" she said finally, shaking her head in exasperation. She could not handle alcohol at all. _I'm never going to drink again!_ She opened one eye to look at Charlie, who was grinning widely. It made Joey burst into laughter. Painful laughter!

"You're loving this, aren't you? Seeing me suffer?"

"I'd never do such a thing!" replied Charlie, unable to curb her giggles.

Charlie nuzzled close to her and wrapped her arms around her. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" she said, raising her eyebrow suggestively.

Joey liked that idea – a lot. "Maybe," she said coyly.

"Where does it hurt most?" asked Charlie tenderly.

Joey's head was throbbing, but instead she raised her finger and pointed to her lips.

Charlie moved towards her, bringing her lips ever closer. She was in the mood for some playful fun.

"_What do you want me to do?_" she said in a low, seductive tone. "_Do you want ... a kiss? Is that what you need?_"

Joey's heart began to beat faster just listening to Charlie's purring voice. She stretched her neck towards Charlie slowly, longing for their lips to meet.

Their mouths were millimetres apart.

"_A kiss_?" Charlie whispered again.

Joey nodded her head. She couldn't speak.

Charlie moved her lips close to Joey's ear. "Well ... you're not getting one," she whispered.

Joey sighed in frustration as Charlie drew away from her and slid down the bed, slipping beneath the sheets, then added -

"... well not on the lips anyway."

Joey grinned. _Such a tease,_ she thought.

Charlie placed wet kisses all over her tummy, before continuing her journey further down below the covers. She kissed her inner thigh. It made Joey's tummy tense up and she held her breath, waiting - anticipating Charlie's next move. Seconds later she felt Charlie's tongue against her and she gasped. It felt so good. Charlie ran her fingers delicately along the inside of Joey's leg, from her ankle all the way up, before gently pushing her legs further apart. Joey moaned softly. She loved that feeling!

Charlie slid her hands up over Joey's tummy, caressing her all over. Joey reached below the sheets and placed her hands on either side of Charlie's head, stroking her long, brunette hair with her fingertips. Charlie quickened the pace of her actions, grabbing Joey around the waist and tightening her grip on her. Joey's back arched in bliss, forcing Charlie to move upward with her. Their lovemaking intensified. Joey's moans became louder as Charlie continued, exploring every part of Joey that she knew would heighten her arousal even further. She had learned a lot about her body since they had become lovers.

The sound of Charlie's phone ringing made them both jump. It was very loud, but it did not deter Charlie one bit. It continued to ring – and ring – and ring. The volume was deafening in Joey's poor ears. She was badly hung over and wished for it to stop, but it kept on ringing.

"Charlie!" Joey said, trying to get her attention and do something about the noise.

"Ignore it!" said Charlie, her voice muffled.

Joey couldn't hear her. The ringing continued to make her head pound harder. She was in pain – and in pleasure - both at the same time.

"CHARLIE! YOUR PHONE!" said Joey louder this time. Saying the words hurt her head even more.

"It's probably work ... I'll call them back in ten minutes!" She didn't want to be disturbed!

"It's SO LOUD ... can you stop it ringing at least? My head is killing me!"

Charlie's hand appeared from below the covers, the rest of her remained underneath.

"Give it here!"

Joey picked up Charlie's phone from the bedside cabinet and placed it on her palm. The phone and the hand disappeared beneath the sheets again. Charlie looked at the display, then flicked up the sheet covering her and sat upright. It was her superior officer calling.

"I have to get this ... it's my boss." She pressed the answer button. "Charlie Buckton speaking. Yes, sir ... I understand ... I'll be there as soon as I can."

On hearing the words, Joey's heart sank. She was now beginning to understand what life was going to be like living with a police constable.

Charlie ended the call, and looked at Joey. The disappointment was evident on both of their faces.

"Sorry, Jo ... I have to go to work ... they need me right away." She leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "_We'll have to continue this when I get back_," she whispered. "Try to get some sleep."

She slid off the bed and went to the bathroom to get washed and dressed. Joey lay back down on her pillow and closed her eyes. Her thumping headache had returned. Charlie had taken her mind off it for a little while, but now it was back with a vengeance. She hope that it would be gone by the time she woke up again.

--------x--------

_'Charlie stepped out of the police vehicle and undid the clip that held her handgun in it's carrier. The woodlands seemed empty. Her boss had instructed her to go there to investigate a disturbance. She walked cautiously forward, peering past the trees. All around her she heard what seemed like hundreds of birds singing. She couldn't see anyone and began to feel as though her visit there had been a total waste of time._

"_Looking for me?" came a voice from right behind her._

_She swung around to see Ash standing there, still wearing her yellow dress from the night before. The wine marks were still visible, except now were much bigger, and looked like red wine stains - and they were shaped like birds flying. How strange, she thought._

"_Ash ... err ... what are you doing here?" Charlie was very surprised to see her._

_Ash smiled calmly and slowly blinked. "You know why I'm here," she breathed._

_Charlie knew. They gazed at one another for a few moments before merging together, their lips colliding. They fell to the ground, kissing passionately, dried branches snapping beneath them. Ash rolled them over to lay on top of her. Her dress was now covered in dry, dead leaves – maybe even some spiders!_

_She pulled their lips apart and gazed into Charlie's eyes. Charlie could sense that she wanted to say something. She waited._

_Ash opened her mouth, ready to speak ... "Joey ... are you awake?" she said._

"_No ... she's still asleep" breathed Charlie._

_Their lips met again, their kiss deepening ... ... ... ...'_

_NOOOOOOOOO! _Joey shot upright in her bed, panting and sweating profusely. Her hair was matted to her face. She looked around the room to try to figure out where she was, but she still could not focus properly. It felt as though she had just cried out loud, but when she saw Charlie standing in the doorway in her uniform, smiling at her, she knew she hadn't. She sighed in relief, realising that it was just a terrible nightmare! Charlie's voice had awoken her, and she was silently grateful.

"Aaah ... you ARE awake. Are you okay?"

Joey slumped back down onto her pillow again. "Yes ... I just had a ... ... nevermind."

Charlie walked over to the bed and sat down on the mattress beside her. She had brought a glass of water and held it out for Joey to take. She drank the entire glass in one go.

"Thirsty?" asked Charlie, grinning.

"Don't let me ever drink again ... please promise me that."

Charlie giggled. "Okay."

A worrying thought entered Joey's head. "Oh god ... did I do anything ... stupid last night?"

Charlie grinned. "No ... but you did spill your wine all over Ash."

"Oh no!" cried Joey. She put her hands over her eyes, vaguely remembering it. "I'm so sorry, Charlie!"

Charlie felt bad for her, but watching her embarrassment grow was very entertaining. She grabbed Joey's wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. "Don't worry," she reassured her. "It was pretty funny ... I thought ... and Ash was really good about it."

Joey began to feel a little better. "What time did we leave?"

"Umm ... pretty much right after you stripped off all your clothes and ran around the house naked."

Joey's mouth fell open. "NO WAY! I DIDN'T ..... right?" Her eyes widened as she tried to recall going home. She couldn't remember much.

Charlie smirked at her. "No ... you didn't. But I, for one, would have loved to have seen it."

"Mmmm ... I'm sure you would," said Joey, reaching out and pulling her on top of her. They kissed tenderly.

"I think ...," began Joey, "we should get you out of that uniform ... as soon as possible ... and back into bed."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah ... good idea."

Their lips locked again and they kissed passionately. Joey closed her eyes. Images from her nightmare suddenly invaded her mind, and she fought hard to get rid of them. _How could I even think those things? Charlie would never do something like that. She loves me._ She felt bad about the way she had been feeling lately, but she still could not make up her mind about Ash's intentions. Regardless of whether Ash was interested in Charlie or not, it takes two people to cause trouble, she realised, and she knew deep down that Charlie was devoted to her and only her. Her headache had gone now – and she was in the mood to show Charlie just how much she was devoted to her too.

She wrapped her arms tightly around Charlie's waist, caressing her back as they kissed feverishly. Her hands brushed against Charlie's black leather utility belt. She could feel cold metal against her fingers. Charlie shifted her weight, sliding her legs between Joey's. Joey felt something hard pressing against her inner thighs. She broke their lips apart.

Grinning at Charlie, she said - "Is that a gun in your pocket ... or are you just pleased to see me?"

Charlie giggled at the corny line, realising that her gun was indeed poking in a very awkward place. She got to her knees. Joey sat up with her and undid the belt buckle. As soon as she had done so, the belt slipped downwards. It was heavy and Charlie helped her to catch it before it fell onto her legs. Guns and walkie-talkies can bruise easily! Charlie had found that out the hard way in the past.

Joey gazed up at her, watching her as she lowered her equipment down safely on the floor below them. Her eyes captured the amazing sight of Charlie towering over her. She thought she looked so incredibly hot in her blue uniform. Charlie raised her hands upwards to remove the clasps from her hair and she shook her head gently. Joey watched as her hair flowed down over her shoulders and back. Her heart beat faster at the beautiful sight. She reached up and grabbed her, throwing her onto the bed beside her. Charlie's arms and legs flailed - Joey's strength had taken her by surprise!

She lunged on top of her, kissing her passionately, their tongues caressing one another softly. They could now finish what they'd started earlier that morning.

Joey supported herself on one hand, the other began to slowly unbutton Charlie's blouse. As she did, she gently kissed each area of newly-exposed flesh. Charlie breathed heavily at the feel of Joey's soft, wet lips on her skin. Joey gazed down at the partially-naked police constable lying below her. She felt incredibly lucky to have a girlfriend who had a job which required her to wear such an incredibly sexy uniform. She slid the blouse off Charlie's shoulders just as slowly as she had unbuttoned it. Charlie raised herself a little to help her remove it. She was in heaven – loving every moment of Joey's tender touch.

Joey slid one hand under Charlie's back, unclasping her bra. She pulled on the garment to remove it. Charlie gazed up into her eyes, searching them. She wanted to know what she was thinking at that moment. She guessed they weren't clean thoughts! Joey kissed her exposed breasts. Charlie wrapped her arms around Joey's shoulders as Joey covered her all over with kisses.

Joey glanced down at Charlie's feet. She was still wearing her boots. She'd seen Charlie put them on many times. They'd always looked so difficult to lace up and she guessed they'd be just as difficult to remove. She sat up and raised one of Charlie's legs, bending her knee so that she could place her boot in her lap to take it off. She started to undo the knot, her fingers fumbling to loosen it. Charlie had tied them very tightly. She watched Joey struggle with it, smiling in amusement. _I wonder how long it's gonna take her!_

Eventually she managed it, then set about loosening the laces. They were long and criss-crossed all the way up, and were also wrapped a few times around the top. She worked hard to free it, but it was proving to be very frustrating.

"Shit .... stupid boot ... you need some slip-ons or something, Charlie ... this is _impossible_!"

Charlie laughed at her impatience. "Erm ... okay ... I'll put a request in tomorrow for some new boots with Velcro ... and when they ask for a reason ... I'll tell them it's because you can't get them off fast enough? You think they'll go for that?"

Joey giggled. "Well if they don't get you a new pair ... I WILL!"

Charlie sat upright and undid her other boot in a fraction of the time it took Joey to do the first one. Joey took one in each and pulled hard. They came off easily and she fell backwards onto the bed.

"Jeez ... I'm exhausted already ... let's just cuddle!" she said, giving Charlie a mischievous smile.

Charlie smacked her bare leg playfully. "NO WAY!" she protested. "GET BACK OVER HERE!" She pulled a giggling Joey back on top of her.

They kissed again, wrapping themselves in one other's arms. Joey slid her hand down to release the fastener on Charlie's blue combat trousers. She slipped her fingers inside her briefs, making Charlie's already-taut tummy tense up. Joey gazed into her eyes as she slid her hand lower. The moment her fingers became wet, Charlie closed her eyes - a smile slowly spreading across her face. Watching her reaction made Joey all the more aroused and she kissed her hard on the lips as she began to please her. Charlie responded, her tongue delving deep inside Joey's mouth. She spread her legs further apart, in willingness to be completely dominated – at the mercy of her lover.

She relished the feeling of Joey on top of her, touching her – rubbing hard against her. Their bodies writhed together in harmony. Their skin felt hot and quickly became sticky with perspiration. Charlie pulled the sheets up around their bodies, to blanket them in – making them both feel protected and secure in their own little world.

Charlie felt her entire body tingling – she was deeply aroused. Her breathing became heavier as she kissed her lover even more passionately. She moaned loudly as the sensations coursing through her intensified. She knew she was going to come hard – very, very soon.

Joey pulled their lips apart, wanting to watch her as she climaxed. Charlie's eyes remained closed and her face became contorted as she lost control, giving herself over completely to her lover.

She felt the urge to arch her back and she thrust her hips upwards, feeling a strong rush between her legs that forced her to bring her knees together tightly.

"Mmmm ... fuuuuck!" she cried, her limbs writhing uncontrollably.

She collapsed back onto the bed, panting. Joey snuggled beside her, placing kisses on her shoulder and arm – then all along her neck. She waited for Charlie to recover and could hear her breathing become less heavy with each passing second.

When she was able, Charlie finally turned to look at her. She smiled - a very contented look spread across her face. She leaned in and kissed Joey tenderly on the lips.

"You are ... just ..." - Charlie couldn't think of a good enough word to describe what she was feeling. She thought of something else to say instead. "How the hell did I get to be so lucky, Jo?"

Joey blushed and smiled. "Karma ... probably."

Charlie looked at her curiously.

"Well," explained Joey, "when you spend so much time helping out everyone around here the way you do ... eventually it all gets repaid back again. And you've been a cop for a long time ... and you're always so good to people all the time, even when you're not in uniform. So now you've got what you deserve ... payback .... ME!" She grinned cheekily.

"Mmmm ... payback ... sounds like a good idea. It's my turn," she said, raising her eyebrow. She leaned in and kissed Joey – ready to pay her back in the nicest ways she could possibly think of.

To be continued ...

Heh heh heh ... so ... the dream sequence, eh? Had some of you worried there for a moment, right? ;-D


	16. Chapter 16

Hi everyone. Thanks again for all your very kind comments and emails. I fear I may have lost some readers with the dream sequence in the last chapter. Perhaps some read the first paragraph of it and stopped reading in disgust ... thinking it was real ... but I hope not! ;-) Heh heh heh!

Here's a new chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 16

Joey reached blindly behind her and felt her way across the top of the bedside cabinet, searching for her phone. Her lips were still locked onto Charlie's, as they had been for several hours, and she didn't want to stop kissing her – not for anything. She couldn't bear to pull them apart. She wanted to know the time and she held up the phone in front of her to look at the display. It was 5.35 p.m. They had remained in bed every since Charlie had arrived home from work – nearly six hours ago. She set her phone back down again and wrapped her arms back around her lover. Charlie now had her full attention again. They stroked and caressed each other's sweat-soaked bodies. Their hair was matted and it clung to their skin.

Charlie did her best to speak amidst the barrage of kisses that Joey was bestowing upon her -

"Joey ... we (kiss) have to (kiss) get up out of here (kiss) at some point", she murmured softly. "We're beginning to (kiss) stick to these (kiss) sheets."

Joey listened to Charlie's sweet voice. She knew she was right. "And we're badly in need of a shower," she said, taking a few strands of Charlie's glued hair and pulling them away from her skin. She looked into Charlie's eyes. Charlie could see that she was deep in thought.

"What? ... What is it?" she asked.

Joey wasn't sure that she wanted to say, but she decided to be honest and tell Charlie what was on her mind. Besides, they had spent enough time in the past holding back their feelings from one another.

"I think Ash likes you," she said.

"Yeah she seems to be one of those people who gets along with everyone."

"No, Charlie ...," said Joey, realising that Charlie had misunderstood. "... she _LIKES_ you ... in the '_I want to jump your bones_' sense of the word."

Charlie's gave her a look of surprise, then she frowned. "No she doesn't. What makes you think that?"

"Last night ... at the dinner table ... when I'd just kissed you ... I looked at her ... and she had been staring at us. She looked away as if she couldn't bear to see us kissing."

Charlie's frown deepened. "She was probably just embarrassed about being caught watching us. Anyone would be. You and I would both do the same thing."

"It didn't seem that way," said Joey, frowning a little.

"Maybe not to you ... but don't you think that .... maybe ... you could be reading too much into it, Jo?"

"Hmm," said Joey. She was unsure about that, but decided that Charlie did have a good point. Maybe the only reason Ash looked away was because Joey had glanced at her, and she'd tried to hide the fact that she'd seen them kiss. Besides, they were all sitting around a small table together last night. If two people kiss at a small table, everyone else is going to look, right? She figured she'd probably do the same thing too.

"Will you stop doing that?" Joey exclaimed.

"Doing WHAT?"

"Making so much sense! You're probably right," she agreed finally.

Charlie smiled at her and drew her lips closer for a soft and very lingering kiss.

--------x--------

By the next day, Joey had completely recovered. She and Charlie had spent the previous evening doing not very much at all on their new sofa, having spent all day doing lots in the bedroom. Charlie had left mid-morning to go to work, and Joey planned to call in to see Alf one more time before she started her new job as a tour guide the next day. She was excited about it – and still nervous.

As she approached the Surf Club she saw a familiar figure waving at her. She waved back at him.

"Hi Aden."

"Hey stranger. Haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?"

"Great, thanks. Fancy a coffee?"

"Sure. And ... I've got something I wanna ask you," he said, grinning.

They entered and sat down at the nearest available table. Aden walked to the counter to order their drinks from Alf. He already knew Joey's favourite so he didn't have to ask her. Sitting back down, he looked at Joey and grinned at her in exactly the same way as he had done outside.

"You look different ... but in a good way, I mean. You look happy. What could be the cause of that?" he asked with a smirk, indicating that he already knew.

Joey blushed. "Okay ... so you've heard ... I'm guessing. And probably the whole place knows too."

"So it IS true?"

"That depends on what '_it_' is."

Aden shifted in his seat and looked her in the eye, preparing to ask the big question. "You and Charlie are ... together?"

Joey grinned. "Yes ... it's true."

Aden's eyes lit up. "Wow. That's so great, Jo. I'm really happy for you guys."

He hugged her. "When did all this happen? I'm feeling so out of the loop around this place these days."

"About three weeks ago. But ... we've had feelings for one another for a while. It just took us some time to ... get our act together and do something about it. So now it's official!"

"Wow. I had no idea Charlie was into women."

Joey giggled. "Neither did she ... until she met me," she said with a smirk.

Alf arrived with their coffee. "Aww hey love ... you all set for tomorrow?"

"Hi Alf. Yeah ... I'm ready. I think so. I'll read over my notes tonight so I'm totally prepared. What time do you want me to be there?"

"Just show up at 10 a.m. I'll be there already with your first group."

"Okay. Thanks. See you then."

He left them to attend the bar again. Joey looked at Aden. He was staring at her.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

Joey smiled at him. "I start a new job tomorrow. A tour guide ... right here in Summer Bay. I'll be taking tourists out on Alf's boat ... telling them all about the place."

"Jeez that's fantastic, Joey. I'll have to take the tour some time ... see if you're any good at it," he teased.

Joey punched his arm. "You're soooo cheeky."

He stuck out his tongue at her.

"You're welcome to come along .. but please wait a while ... at least until I've settled into it, okay?"

"No problem." he said. "What about Brett? Is he giving you any more hassle?"

"I don't live with him anymore. I have my own place now"

Aden looked at her – surprised. "No kidding!"

"Yep. A nice little hideaway for me and Charlie."

"What the hell, Joey? I don't see you for a few weeks and you've got a new job, a new home ... AND a new girlfriend. Got any more surprises?"

"Umm ... I'm gay?"

He winked at her. "That's yesterday's news, babe!"

--------x--------

Charlie made the short walk to Joey's apartment as soon as she had got home and changed. She stood outside the front door, and could hear Joey singing in the kitchen. Charlie hadn't realised what a good singer she was, and she was so happy to hear her in such a happy mood. It always brightened up her own day whenever she saw Joey smiling or laughing. She unlocked the door and let herself in.

"Hey," said Joey, waving at her as she cleaned the worktop. She was wearing rubber gloves and her hair was tied back. Her face was smeared with dirt.

Charlie thought she looked adorable. "You look very ... domesticated," she laughed.

"That's one of the joys of having an apartment. It's a constant battle against the evil powers of dirt and dust. I was thinking we could go out soon and grab something to eat."

"Mmmm ... sounds great. Where do you want to go?" Charlie asked as she walked towards her.

Joey took of her gloves and put her arms around her, kissing her softly on the lips. "Well ... if you want the truth ... I WANT to go to bed," she teased. "But that'll have to wait until later ... so says my rumbling stomach."

--------x--------

They walked along the roadside, trying to decide where to eat. Hunger was urging them to make up their minds soon. As they neared the diner, they saw a woman getting out of her car. They recognised her, and as soon as they had done, she waved at them. They approached her.

"Hi there," said Ash.

"Hi," greeted Charlie.

Joey felt her embarrassment return as the sight of Ash brought memories of the dinner party flooding back.

"Hi," she said shyly. "Ash ... I'm really sorry about ... the wine thing."

Ash flapped her hand, brushing it off. "Ahh never worry, Joey ... happens to me all the time," she said with a smile.

Joey smiled at her, relieved that she was treating it so light-heartedly.

"Hey ... I'm going to get something to eat. Would you two like to join me? My treat?"

Charlie glanced at Joey, trying to guess if she was willing or not, after everything she had said that morning. Joey looked at Charlie and smiled.

"Sure," they said in unison.

"Great," beamed Ash. "How about a trip to Yabbie Creek. I heard the restaurants there are pretty good."

Charlie and Joey both nodded.

Ash unlocked her car again. "Get in," she said with a smile.

--------x--------

The restaurant was bustling. They took their seats near one corner of the room. Charlie studied the menu, whilst Joey looked around at the décor. She liked the style of the room, natural tones mixed with deep red, and she made a mental note to try and find similar colours for her own living room.

Ash looked around her. "Okay lemme see ... a typical restaurant in a typical seaside town. Lanterns on the wall? Check!" she said pointing. "Pictures of tall ships? Check! An old divers helmet?" she said, looking around to find it. She spotted it above the entrance. "Check! Old fishing nets on the ceiling? Check! Yup ... and I'm guessing that 85% of the menu is gonna have fish in it. Perfect. You think if I ask for raw fish, they'll call me crazy and kick me out?"

Joey smiled. "Probably."

"So ... you two. Tell me more about yourselves. Okay ... so ... you got together about three weeks ago. That's fantastic. Where do you guys live?"

"I live with Leah, Ruby and VJ ... and Joey has just moved into her own apartment nearby."

"Excellent. Nice little love nest, I'm sure!"

Charlie and Joey smiled at each other in agreement. Joey noticed a woman sitting nearby, listening intently to every word they said. She was probably in her late fifties, she thought, but she dressed much older than that, and she looked as though the word 'conservative' had been especially invented just for her.

"We love it," said Charlie. "It's getting cosier every day."

"Can you see yourselves living together some day?"

Charlie and Joey looked at one another again. Their excitement at the idea was spread across both their faces.

"Yeah ... it'd be great," said Charlie.

Behind them, they heard a gasp of horror. All three looked around to see where it was coming from.

"She's listening to us," explained Joey, pointing discreetly to the woman with her finger.

Ash shook her head in dismay. "Ignore her."

Their conversation continued as the waitress came over to take their order.

--------x--------

Joey felt differently being in Ash's company this time compared to the previous night. She was much more relaxed and was enjoying the conversation – and her food. All three women were still very much aware of the nosey customer sitting close by. Ash had her back to her. Every time they talked about their relationship, they heard another gasp.

Joey peered over Ash's shoulder to look at her. As soon as she did, the woman looked away, pretending not to notice her. "Bloody old rubbernecker," she muttered.

"What's wrong?" asked Ash.

"Could she BE any more obvious?" complained Joey, nodding in the direction of the unwelcome eavesdropper. Joey's growing frustration was obvious.

Ash turned around in her chair to look at her, then turned back again. Her eyes drifted off as she had an idea – a smile slowly spreading across her face as a plan materialised in her head. She looked at Charlie and Joey.

"Watch this," she whispered, raising her eyebrow mischievously.

She leaned back and turned her head so the woman could see her. She began to pull on her collar - uncomfortably. Then, in a loud voice she said -

"I don't know about you girls ... but I feel really hot ... and HORNY." She made sure she said the last word right at the snooping woman. "So ... do you two wanna come back to my place ... have a little .... FUN?"

She winked at the woman and said ... "Feel free to join us anytime, honey!"

Charlie and Joey were flabbergasted.

The woman jumped up off her seat. "WELL I NEVER! I've ... I've ... never heard such shameful talk in my life. I can't sit here any longer."

"Pity," said Joey dryly.

Charlie grinned at Joey, loving her sarcasm.

The angry woman stood up. "I think what you people do is disgusting. It's against nature. IT'S AGAINST GOD."

Ash swung around to look at her, incensed by the words. "Oh REALLY?" she cried, her frustration and anger now at a peak. "Which particular god would that be, then? You'll have to be much more specific than that, love. I mean ... there's so many gods to choose from ... which is it ... huh? Maybe it's Apollo, yes? Or maybe Atlas? Aphrodite?" Ash's voice was getting more and more high-pitched as she spoke.

The woman's jaw had dropped. She hadn't expected any kind of rebuttal.

Ash continued - "Not any of those gods? No? Ok so lets go from the A's to the B's. Is it Baal? Bacchus?"

The woman tried to quickly think of a retort, but she was dumbstruck – and Ash was only getting started. She stood up to face the nasty lady.

"OHHHH ... I'm guessing you're talking about the Christian god, right?"

The woman nodded her head, her eyes wide with fear. She was obviously petrified of the doctor.

"Well let me tell you something about that, sweetheart. Your god is only ONE of about TEN THOUSAND gods that have ever been worshipped since the human race BEGAN. And like all those gods before yours, there is absolutely no evidence WHATSOEVER that any of them ever existed. So until you can PROVE that YOUR god actually EXISTS ... I suggest you keep your MOUTH SHUT ... and think twice before spewing your hatred and bigotry at anyone else ... making their lives miserable with your bloody stupid beliefs! GOT IT?"

The woman face now had a look of terror. She reached down and grabbed her handbag ... then ran out of the restaurant. Ash watched her as she fled, her heart pounding, her eyes wide with anger.

"I HOPE YOU'VE PAID ALREADY!" she shouted after her.

As soon as the woman was out of sight, she turned around and sat back down, taking a sip from her wine to calm her. She looked up at Charlie and Joey. They were both astounded, their mouths wide open in shock.

"Sorry about that, guys. I just have no time for ... stupid people."

"Ash ... I think you've just become my personal hero," blurted Joey.

"That was AMAZING," added Charlie, grinning at her proudly.

Ash sighed. "When you've been out as long as I have ... you get used to dealing with this stuff. And I always use that argument. Leaves them speechless. Works every time." she said, grinning. "Oh .... and ... I'm an atheist, by the way ... in case you didn't get that!"

"No shit!" muttered Joey.

Charlie laughed in amusement.

Ash looked around her, finally realising that everyone else in the restaurant was probably looking at her. She was right.

"Now ...," she began, turning back to her friends. "We can finish our food in peace. Where were we?"

Charlie and Joey exchanged glances. They were sure they would remember this encounter for a very long time to come.

To be continued ...


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The short car journey from the restaurant in Yabbie Creek back home to Summer Bay had been very interesting. Ash had described her experiences of coming out to her parents when she was eighteen, and their reaction. They were not surprised at all. In fact, they knew long before she did and had been waiting for her to realise and break the news. They had witnessed her very earliest crushes on other girls, and they saw how she didn't idolise boy bands or male actors the way her friends did.

Whilst she was a student at Sydney University, she'd fallen deeply in love with her tutor, a gorgeous science lecturer, who was almost fifteen years older than her. Her parents had been very supportive of her sexuality, but they had trouble accepting her relationship with a much older woman. Ash had never considered it an issue at all. She had always believed that every human being reaches a certain age, and they stay that age, no matter how many years pass afterwards. Some people stay teenagers all their life, she explained, and some remain as children until their dying day, while others are convinced of their geriatric status as soon as they find their first grey hair or wrinkle. Ash had always felt very mature, long before society deemed her to be. Her tutor and lover, Ellen Rivers, had always maintained a youthful, vivacious approach to life. It was this aspect of her personality that drew Ash to her in the first place – that and her striking good looks and incredible figure.

"So what happened?" asked Joey. "Between you and Ellen."

Ash went silent for a few moments before answering. "Drunk driver."

"I'm sorry," said Charlie softly.

"He was driving on the wrong side of the road ... three times over the limit. It took paramedics and fire fighters six hours to cut her from the wreckage. By then it was too late."

Charlie knew exactly how bad it must have been for her. She'd had to inform relatives many times of the passing of their loved ones at the hands of reckless idiots in cars, driving too fast, high on drugs or alcohol. She'd seen what it did to them – the shock, the pain, the heartbreak.

"We'd been together for four years. Four blissfully happy years. We had a house ... we had a dog. We were even planning to have kids. I guess life can deal out some very cruel blows sometimes. We all have tough times, don't we?"

Charlie and Joey agreed silently.

"The thing is ... if I were given the opportunity to live it all over again ... knowing that I'd still lose her after four years ... I wouldn't hesitate. They were the best four years of my life."

The car was silent again.

"I'm sorry, guys ... I didn't mean to depress you."

"No no ... you haven't," said Joey. "It's very ... touching. You really loved her."

"Yes ... I did," she replied softly. The car pulled along the side of the road. "Do you want me to drop you both home?"

"No ... it's okay," said Charlie. "We can walk from here ... it's not far. And it's a nice night. Thank you so much for dinner. And thanks for taking care of that old busybody. That was _just_ incredible."

Ash looked at her and smiled. Charlie and Joey both noticed the single tear running down her cheek.

"My pleasure ... any time!" she said, wiping her face with the back of her hand, hoping they hadn't noticed.

"Yes ... thanks for everything," added Joey.

They stepped out of the car and watched as Ash drove off. Charlie took Joey's hand in hers. "Still think she likes me now?" she asked, raising her brow.

Joey had no choice but to admit her change of mind. "No ... I don't. Let's walk home along the beach." Her sadness at hearing Ash's life story was still audible in her voice.

Charlie looked up into the clear night sky. The stars were shining brightly. "There's beetlejuice," she said, pointing up to the red star on the Orion constellation.

"You remembered," smiled Joey.

"That entire night was kinda hard to forget, Jo!"

Joey thought about it for a few moments and giggled as she recalled the balcony fiasco, and mooning at the woman in the hotel reception.

"Yeah it was," she agreed. "Damn ... I have to study tonight!" She'd suddenly remembered that her new career was due to begin in less than 12 hours.

"Ohhhh ... that's right, Miss Tour Guide Expert. You'll do great tomorrow ... you know that, right?"

Joey wasn't so sure. "I might suck."

Charlie took her in her arms and pulled her close until their noses touched. "You WON'T suck. You'll be perfect." She hesitated before saying her next words. "So does that mean you'll be studying ALL night?" she asked with a suggestive smirk.

"Ummm ... not ALL night," Joey said, a smile spreading across her face. "I have time for some ... erm ... _recreational_ activities ... later."

"Mmmm," said Charlie, kissing her tenderly. She tugged on Joey's hand to follow her. She wanted to get them home as soon as possible.

--------x-------

The day of reckoning had arrived. Joey stood in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. It was her job to be friendly and informative, and she'd decided that nice clean, shiny white teeth would help win over the tourists when she smiled. She grinned at the mirror, her mouth brimming over with foamy toothpaste. _Yuck ... I look like I've got rabies!_

She spat out and tried again, contented that she looked much better this time. "Hi ... I'm your friendly tour guide for today," she chirped, pretending to be a typically over-enthusiastic tourism worker. She promised herself she would not become one of those people. Her approach was going to be more relaxed. The last thing the visitors needed was to be stuck on a boat with someone they secretly want to strangle and throw overboard. She'd met too many of those in the past.

Already dressed in her best seafaring clothing, and having eaten breakfast half an hour ago, she made her way to the front door, carrying the notebook she had prepared. Charlie sat on the sofa, lacing up her boots. Her blouse was unbuttoned all the way down, and the beautiful sight was distracting Joey too much.

"Hey will you cover those things up ... please? I'm trying to get ready for work here!"

Charlie looked down at herself and giggled. "Sorry," she said, closing the gap with her hands. She quickly buttoned her blouse, then continued to lace her boots.

Joey walked over to her and leaned in to give her a soft goodbye kiss.

"Good luck, gorgeous," whispered Charlie. "Knock 'em dead ... okay?"

Joey smiled at her sweet words.

"But not literally," Charlie added.

--------x--------

Joey met Alf at exactly 10 a.m., just as he'd asked.

"Hiya, love. Today's the big day. We're all set," he said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them excitedly. "You ready?"

Joey smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be." Her nerves were beginning to give her butterflies.

"Great stuff. Now ... don't worry about getting everything right first time out. Today is just to help you get a _feel_ for it. No pressure, okay?"

Joey appreciated his encouragement. "Thanks, Alf. I won't let you down. Where are the happy tourists?"

"They're on the boat ... ready and waiting for you. You know the route to take them, right?"

"Yep ... I've even got it written down here in my notebook ... in case I get lost," she said, winking at him.

"Well good luck," he laughed. "I was gonna come with you your first time ... but that's probably not a good idea. You'll do much better on your own without me lookin' over yer shoulder."

She waved to him and set off nervously down the walkway to the Blaxland. On board sat about eight people. Joey was relieved there weren't more. Eight was enough for her first time out. Two of them were children. She hoped they wouldn't mess around. It'd be a shame to have to leave them floating out at sea, she thought.

She climbed aboard and swallowed hard, preparing to begin the greeting she'd written and rewritten many times.

"Hi everyone ... my name's Joey Collins. Today I'm going to take you up along some of the most beautiful New South Wales coastline you're ever likely to see ... and I'' be telling you a bit about the history of this area. We might even be able to spot some wildlife, if we're lucky .. so keep your eyes and ears open. Okay ... are we all ready to go?"

"Yesssss," they all replied together, as if they were back at school answering their teacher.

"Okay ... I'll get us started," she said, turning the ignition. _Well ... that part went smoothly_, she thought. _Only another two hours to go!_

She put the Blaxland in reverse and slowly backed it away from the gangway. The sound of churning water drowned out the noisy conversations taking place between the passengers. It was a beautiful day, and there wasn't much of a breeze – so they were all likely to stay a little warmer, and happier for it. As they headed out into deeper waters the boat began to rock back and forth. Joey always loved that part. Out on a boat at sea was her second favourite place in the world, the first being wrapped in Charlie's arms, of course.

She looked out across the starboard side and immediately spotted something in the water that made her smile, convincing her that this was indeed the perfect start.

"Everyone ... if you look over there," she said pointing, "you'll see porpoises, a relative of whales and dolphins. Millions of years ago, the ancestors of porpoises, whales and dolphins lived on land. They were hoofed creatures ... and it is believed that they entered the oceans as far back as 50 million years ago."

Joey looked at the faces of all the passengers one by one as she spoke. They all seemed very impressed at her knowledge. She couldn't help feeling just a little bit proud of herself!

As they approached a popular landmark,, Joey glanced down at her notes.

"Up ahead is Kintully Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses in Australia. It was built in 1899 and still survives today, long past many of it's more contemporary neighbours. They just don't build 'em like they used to, eh?"

The passengers laughed. _Wow ... this is going great_, she thought.

Joey spotted something interesting above them. "If you all look up, you'll see a Fleshy-footed Shearwater, one of our most popular sea birds. They have a habit of following fishing trawlers, hoping to pick up scraps." Joey had spent a lot of time in their company during her many months at sea. She knew them well.

Two of the tourists stood trying to look directly up through binoculars, but it was proving very tricky as the boat moved from side to side. They almost lost their balance several times. _ I hope there's a first aid kit on this thing_, thought Joey. _I'm probably gonna need it!_

Their tour continued. Joey was completely in her element.

--------x--------

The boat had reached it's final destination before it was due to turn back to Summer Bay. Joey pointed towards an old wooden house perched up on a cliff edge. It looked a little ominous, and she chose it for that reason, having sailed past it hundreds of times in the past. She prepared herself to tell the tallest of tall tales -

"If you all look up along the cliff face, you'll see the house that once belong to an old man by the name of Jack Harlequin. Legend has it that hundreds of boats have disappeared right here in this very spot, some as recently as a few years ago. It's believed that the ghost of Jack Harlequin still resides within those rotting wooden walls, and he has the ability to cut the power of the engines of any boats that are unlucky enough to drift too close. Then he descends in a cloud of green mist ... to claim his victims!"

She looked at them all again. Some were smiling at her, whilst others looked a little spooked. _Perfect_, she thought.

"Now I don't believe in ghosts myself," she added, "but I'll try to keep my distance ... just in case." With those words, she reached down and pushed the throttle a little, causing the engine to complain noisily. She looked down, faking concern at the controls. Looking up again, those that were once smiling were not doing so anymore. Joey cut the engine, making sure the boat drifted ever closer to Jack's haunted cliff-top abode.

"What the-" she said, pretending to struggle with the controls.

She looked at the kids. They were smiling and jumping up and down, eager to see Jack appear. The adults looked as though they'd gladly hand over all their worldly possessions just to get the engine started again. They shifted nervously from foot to foot, grabbing onto the railings, their knuckles whitening.

Joey turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared into life once more.

"JUST KIDDING!" she beamed.

The look of relief on the grown-ups faces was priceless, and they laughed nervously. She wished she could have taken a photo just to show Charlie later. She couldn't wait to tell her all about her first day.

Turning the boat around, Joey began their journey back to Summer Bay, taking another quick glance at her notes. She still had lots more to tell them.

--------x--------

The Blaxland docked exactly two hours and ten minutes after they had left the bay. Alf was there to greet them.

"Did everybody have a good time?" he asked.

"It was brilliant," said one of the children. "I saw a ghost house!"

"DID YOU?" enthused Alf.

As the passengers disembarked, each shook Joey by the hand and thanked her for a wonderful tour. Alf looked on, proud of her. He'd always known she was the right person for the job.

"Well done, Joey love. Looks like everyone loved you."

"Thanks." She felt very happy about the way it had all gone.

"I'm hoping to make this a twice-a-day thing very soon. One in the morning ... and one in the afternoon. How does that sound?"

Joey's eyes lit up. _More work!_ "Fantastic. And thanks again, Alf ... for hiring. I never realised how much I'd love doing this kind of thing."

"See you tomorrow? Same time?"

She gave him the thumbs up, then started to make her way back home.

--------x--------

It was 6.35 p.m. Charlie inserted her key and turned it. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by the most fantastic smell of food. Joey was in the kitchen, stirring a pot with a ladel, two of the items left behind by the previous tenants.

"Hey," greeted Joey as soon as she saw her.

"Hey ... what's all this?"

Joey stopped what she was doing and walked over to greet her. "It's ... a celebration." She wrapped her arms around Charlie and kissed her. Charlie could see how happy she was.

"So ... everything went well today, then?"

"Better than I could have possibly imagined, Charlie. It was so much fun to do. And it was so nice to be working on a boat ... and not be knee deep in fish for a change."

Charlie giggled. "What are we having?"

"Italian! Spaghetti bolognese, with ciabatta bread and red wine. And there's Italian ice-cream for later."

"Mmmm ... that sounds and smells delicious. But ... since we're celebrating your career success ... shouldn't _I_ be the one cooking for _YOU_?"

Joey grinned devilishly. "You're doing the dishes."

"Okay," laughed Charlie. They kissed again.

"Oh ... I have something to show you," remembered Joey. She took Charlie by the hand and led her in through the kitchen and over to the dining area. A solid oak kitchen table and four chairs sat in the middle of the floor, beautifully adorned with plates, cutlery, napkins, wine glasses, a rose and a single candle – already lit.

"WOW," cried Charlie. "Where did all this come from?"

"I wanted to surprise you. The table and chairs came today. I got the other stuff this afternoon. You like?"

"It's all so beautiful." Charlie kissed her tenderly. "I'm gonna go freshen up."

"Hurry back," whispered Joey, "we have a lot of ... _celebrating_ to do tonight."

Charlie knew exactly what she meant by that!

To be continued ...


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"You should have seen their faces, Charlie ... it was so funny. I'm convinced some of them believed Jack was real."

"I'll bet they were worried," laughed Charlie. "I'm proud of you." She raised her glass to offer a toast. "To your new career as the next Wes Craven ... Master of Horror! Or should that be Mistress?"

Joey giggled_. Clink! _They took a sip. The room was softly lit by a small lamp in the corner of the dining area, and by the single candle sitting between them.

"I can't believe I'm drinking wine again ... after last time. I swore never to drink again. YOU promised to stop me if I tried," she lectured, pointing her finger.

"Well ... this is a very special occasion. You have to make allowances now and again, right?"

Joey nodded her head, happy to make this one exception.

"Besides ... it's Italian night ... and you can't have Italian food without red wine. But just to warn you, Jo ... if you spill any wine on _ME_ ... I won't hesitate to throw you straight into jail. There's no way I'd be as good about it as Ash was!"

"I'll behave," she promised, blushing a little.

They had almost finished their food. "This was delicious," said Charlie. "Thank you. You're such a great cook."

"It's not over yet ... we've still got dessert, remember?"

"Mmmm." The suggestion made Charlie's mouth water.

Joey smirked - "But maybe we should eat our ice-cream first." She winked at her.

Charlie giggled and tugged on Joey's blouse - pulling her closer. They shared a kiss – just a little teaser, their lips brushing together gently.

"Orrrr ...," Charlie began, "maybe we can do both at the same time."

Joey looked at her – the idea bringing a huge smile across her face. "Mmmmmm. Okay ... I'll grab the ice-cream ... you grab the spoons ... and I'll meet you in the bedroom in ... umm say ... thirty seconds? Don't be late!"

Their chairs screeched along the floor as they scrambled to their feet and ran.

--------x--------

Ten minutes later. Clothing lay strewn across the bedroom floor, cast off arbitrarily amidst a flood of passionate kisses. Charlie's eyes captured the amazing sight of the naked beauty below her, spread out on the bed. Joey's chest heaved as she breathed deeply, trying to control her racing heart. The look in her eyes told Charlie to prepare for a night of unrestrained passion. She was ready for it.

Their lips collided in a frenzy of lust, their hands caressing one another roughly. Joey's fingers lowered quickly between Charlie's legs. They became moistened immediately. Charlie closed her eyes and arched her head backwards, moaning aloud. She spread her legs a little further, so that her lover could please her better. She slid her hips in harmony with Joey's movements, her arousal increasing with each gentle stroke. They held one another's gazes firmly as Joey quickened the pace of her motions, relishing the incredible intimacy that they were sharing at that moment. Joey watched the ever-changing expression on Charlie's face as her carnality was unleashed once again. She watched as Charlie gasped and exhaled loudly, her face contorting in pleasure, her eyes gradually losing their focus on her. Her hands were clenched in a fist on the mattress below her, stuffed full with white undersheet. When Charlie realised her lack of sight, she knew she was close to orgasm, and she vocalised her bliss even more loudly as her arousal neared it's peak. She closed her eyes and thrust her hips forcefully a few final times as she felt the powerful eruptions between her legs, pulsating more strongly than she had ever remembered them. She cried out, unable to control her voice. A silent release was something she could not do. Joey always made sure of that.

Charlie's upper body collapsed on top of Joey's, unable to support her own weight any longer. Her legs and arms were shaking. When she eventually opened her eyes, she notice something on the bedside cabinet.

"Oops ... we forgot about the ice-cream," she giggled, still trying to regain her breath.

Joey grinned. "It'll probably be milkshake by now." She reached across and grabbed it to see whether it was still edible, or would have to be sucked through a straw. The ice-cream was still very much in solid form and Joey was pleasantly surprised.

She slid to one side, allowing Charlie to lie on the mattress beside her. Taking a spoon in her hand, Joey scooped up a small dollop of ice-cream and offered it to her. Charlie opened her mouth, gladly accepting - licking her lips and savouring the creamy cold delight melting on her tongue. Joey gave her some more, and Charlie accepted it noisily...

"Mmmmm." She sat up, so that she could reciprocate the gesture. Picking up the other spoon, she dipped it into the ice-cream, scooping some onto the tip. She offered it to Joey, who took it gently between her lips. Ice-cream was her favourite sweet treat, and she was especially going to enjoy it being fed to her by the woman she loved.

Joey lay back on her pillow and gazed contentedly up at the ceiling. Charlie looked down at her, unable to take her eyes off her breasts. She smiled at the idea entering her head. The thought was just too irresistible. She took the tub, scooping up an entire spoonful this time. It dripped off the sides. She spooned it onto Joey's nipple, which hardened instantly, responding to the ice-cold sensation.

"Aaaaaaaarrgh .... it's f-f-freezing," Joey cried.

Charlie placed her mouth around it, gently sucking cream and flesh together. She flicked her tongue back and forth. It tickled Joey so much that she began to wriggle, laughing uncontrollably.

"STAY STILL ... or I'm gonna spill it all over us!" said Charlie, trying to keep the tub upright. Her own laughing fit didn't help her efforts either.

Joey stopped moving, then sat upright, taking the tub in her hand. She eased Charlie onto the bed again, so that she lay on her back. Placing her spoon into the tub, she scooped up the runny ice-cream around the sides, then dribbled it all the way down from Charlie's chest to her tummy. She ran her tongue delicately all the way up from her navel, lapping up the creamy droplets as she went. Charlie murmured softly and incoherently, uttering random noises of pleasure. She now wished they had a bigger tub.

--------x--------

Midnight. With their appetites now sated, in every sense of the word, they lay in each other's arms - their skin sticky and smelling very sweet. Joey played with Charlie's hair, twirling it around her fingers.

"I don't think I've ever eaten that much ice-cream in one go," said Charlie. "I've gotta hit the gym tomorrow ... double session ... and it's all your fault!" She stuck out her tongue playfully.

Joey wasn't prepared to take the blame. "I beg your pardon ... no one made you eat it. And didn't I give you a good enough workout already ... just now?"

Charlie grinned. "I still can't feel my legs. Does that answer your question?"

Joey smiled at the idea, and wrapped her arms around her more tightly. They kissed. "Do you think everyone in Summer Bay knows about us by now?"

Charlie thought for a few moments. "I don't know. I'll be very surprised if they don't."

"Well Alf knows ... and he's been really great about it. He seemed genuinely happy for us ... and he wasn't in any way judgemental. He's turning out to be the perfect boss."

"That is SO great. I wish everyone could be like him. Have you spoken to Brett since ... y'know ..."

Joey shook her head. "No. He's probably trying to forget he ever had a sister ... a gay sister."

Charlie gave her a comforting kiss. "I'm _sure_ he's not, Jo. He still loves you. He's probably just trying to get used to the idea of you and me. And now that he's seen us together ... he's realised it's _real_."

"How do you think your dad will take it?" Joey asked.

Charlie frowned. She didn't like thinking about it because she knew exactly what his feelings were on same-sex relationships. He was steadfastly against them. He'd had a strict religious upbringing, and had been indoctrinated at a very early age. It meant he found it hard to accept any idea that had not been preached into his young mind from the pulpit. Part of her wanted to never tell him, but another part of her longed for him to learn the truth, so that he could know his daughter completely, without secrets. There had been enough of those in the Buckton household in the past. Both she and her father tended to conceal their emotions from others – it was their way of coping. Her mother had been much more open and honest, but Charlie could never find it in herself to be like her in that respect.

"I don't think he'll take it very well," she replied. "It's probably the last thing he needs right now."

"No ... I wasn't asking you to tell him, Charlie. I just wanted to know how you think he would deal with the news ... if or when you decide to tell him. No pressure ... remember?"

Charlie smiled weakly at her. She was thinking about her dad's state of mind. The last time she'd seen him, his memory had deteriorated so much. If she were to tell him – would he even remember the next day?

Joey sensed her sudden sadness, and she kissed her softly. Thoughts of her dad slowly began to dissipate from her mind, and she eventually became lost in Joey's embrace. Within minutes, sleep overcame them both.

-------x-------

Joey's second day at work had been even better than her first. She'd taken out even more passengers this time, she counted thirteen heads, and they'd told her it was the best trip they had ever taken. One little old lady even gave her a ten dollar tip as she disembarked. Joey felt like giving her a hug and a kiss. She'd been so sweet and lovely. They had spotted humpback whales today. The two hour trip out was worth taking just to experience those ten brief seconds alone. It was breathtaking.

She had felt even more comfortable talking today, and she was sure that tomorrow would be even easier. Her determination to develop her skills as a guide made her look forward to going to work every day, and she'd be making good money. Alf would pay her well, and it meant she could afford to completely furnish her apartment soon with everything she and Charlie needed to make a comfortable home for themselves.

Charlie had called her earlier that day and had arranged to meet her after work at The Diner. They'd agreed it was time to put in another appearance together, so as not to disappoint those who enjoyed a good gossip.

She waited outside for Charlie to appear. When she saw her, she smiled and even felt a little palpitation in her heart.

They entered the Diner, and decided to order some coffee. It was very busy for a mid-week evening. They saw Leah at the counter and joined the queue, waiting to talk to her. Charlie heard a voice behind that she recognised - a voice with a hint of Irish. She turned around to see Ash, sitting at a nearby table. Ash hadn't seen them. She'd just answered her phone and had her back turned to them.

Charlie looked at Joey and pointed her finger discretely. "Ash is here."

Joey peered over Charlie's shoulder. "Cool. Let's say hi."

They waited for Ash to finish her conversation.

Both could hear her clearly ...

"_Hey Jessie ... yes ... really? Yes I will ... okay ... see you soon ... yes ... I love you too ... bye!"_

Ash ended her call, sat back in her chair and smiled to herself.

Charlie's mouth fell open and she gasped as she realised the significance of what she had just overheard. She quickly pulled Joey out of the queue and over to the other side of the room to talk to her.

"Did you hear that, Joey?" she whispered.

"Hear what?"

"Ash ... she was talking on the phone to some woman called Jessie! And it didn't sound like a ... platonic conversation. She told her she loved her."

Joey looked at her - confused. "So?"

"So ... her girlfriend's name is LAURA!"

"Ohhhhhhhhh .... realllllllly?" Joey's expression now mirrored that of Charlie's.

Charlie nodded. They glanced over at her, their eyes narrowing as their suspicion grew. "Hmmm," mused Joey, suddenly reverting back to her original opinion of the doctor.

Joey's eyes darted as her mind raced. "Do you think that's the real reason why she's here?" whispered Joey. "She's seeing someone else?"

"Certainly sounds that way." Charlie was beginning to think that maybe Joey had been right about her all along – perhaps she was a serial womaniser. Did she travel so much because she was cheating on her girlfriend? Had she been flirting with her after all? Was she seeking more than one type of bird? Not just the feathered kind? Was she more interested in the long-legged, smooth-skinned, double-breasted, high heel-wearing kind? They were determined to find out.

To be continued ...

Strangely ... I have a craving for ice-cream now ... and some long chicken legs ... freshly plucked. That's just weird! ;-)


	19. Chapter 19

One big final chapter for y'all!

Chapter 19 ( or ... Chapter 66 of the saga)

"THAT'S IT," cried Joey, unable to hold back any longer. "I'm going over there to confront her RIGHT NOW!"

Having just heard Ash's intimate phone call to Jessie, the anger was growing inside her.

"Joey no ... don't please ... it's none of our business."

"The hell it is," she cried. "She's been after you ever since she got here, Charlie. And I'm going to let her know that I'm on to her. It's obvious that she wants to play around on her girlfriend as much as she possibly can." Joey's face had a look of sheer determination.

She took a step forward, but Charlie grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"JOEY ... think about this for a second. We don't need to cause a scene right here in the middle of the diner ... with all these people watching. They've probably been staring at us since we got here anyway. We shouldn't give them any more reasons to talk."

Joey thought about Charlie's words – then relaxed her body.

"Okay ... but if she makes any more moves on you ... I'm gonna kick her feathered ass all the way back to Sydney."

Charlie couldn't help but laugh at Joey's annoyance. "When we go back over there ... just ... just smile and be nice ... okay?"

Joey took a deep breath then exhaled long and loudly. "Okay okay," she said reluctantly.

As they walked back across the room, Ash spotted them. She waved, urging them to join her.

"Hi guys. Come sit down. Wow Joey ... you look beautiful today." She finished her sentence with a wolf whistle.

Joey was not one bit amused at the compliment. _What the hell,_ she thought. _Has this woman no boundaries?_ Charlie was thinking something very similar. They glanced at each other. Charlie's eyes pleaded for Joey to keep her composure. It seemed to be working.

"How's the new job going, Joey?" Ash asked sincerely.

Joey smiled weakly at her, unable to take her mind off her belief that Ash was pursuing the woman she loved. "It's ... great. I'm really enjoying it."

"Aww that's excellent. Good for you! A beautiful and intelligent girl like you ... you're just perfect for the job."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. She didn't like hearing another woman complimenting her Joey that way. Not at all!

The robotic sound of R2-D2's long procession of beeps and squeaks rang out near them. It was Ash's phone telling her that she had just received a text message. She blushed a little as she picked it up, looking at them both.

"Big Star Wars fan, eh?" Joey commented.

"Yep," replied Ash. She put on her best Yoda voice - "Hmm ... judge me well ... you do."

Charlie and Joey were quietly impressed at the faultless impression. On another day they might have laughed – but not today. All they could do was smile.

Ash opened the message and read. A smile spread across her face instantly. She set her phone down on the table and excused herself to go to the ladies. Charlie and Joey sat there, aware that the open text message was less than two feet away from them. Charlie tapped her fingers on the table, trying to resist the temptation to peer at the display. It was just sitting there - begging them to look. They looked at each other - both thinking the same thing.

"Oh to hell with it ...," exclaimed Joey. "I'm gonna do it!"

She stretched her neck and glanced at the words. They read:-

' I need to see you now xxx '

Joey gasped and put her hand over her mouth, then she looked at Charlie. "I bet you as soon as she comes back ... she's going to make an excuse to leave. You wait and see."

They didn't have to wait long. Within a single minute Ash returned, looking freshly groomed, her make up perfected. "I'm sorry guys ... I have to go ... but I hope to see you both again soon ... before I go back to Sydney."

They said their goodbyes and watched Ash leave.

Joey glanced at Charlie. "Told you so."

"What did it say? Who was it from?"

"I couldn't see a name ... but it said _'I need to see you now'_ ... which really means _'I need to see you NAKED now.'_ It must be from _HER_ ... Jessie. She doesn't know anyone else here ... I don't think. Who _ELSE_ could it be from?"

Charlie nodded in agreement with everything Joey had said. They were tempted to follow her and investigate, and didn't need much persuasion. One wide-eyed look from Joey was enough to catapult Charlie into her detective persona, something she'd always aspired to be - just like her dad. Although admittedly this wasn't quite the same thing.

They stood up and headed swiftly for the exit. "My car's just round the corner," said Charlie.

"Hi guys," came a voice from behind the counter. It was Leah's.

"Hey Leah ... we'll be back soon," shouted Joey as they left.

Leah watched them, wondering where they were going in such a hurry.

Joey poked her head outside to see where Ash had gone. She was getting into her car across the road. They waited until she had just driven off, then ran straight around the corner to Charlie's car.

--------x--------

Ash's car pulled into the car park at the motel she had been staying in since she'd arrived at Summer Bay. Charlie stayed back, so they could not be seen. Ash stepped out of the car, and opened the back seat, taking out her laptop in it's case.

"What the hell does she need that for?" whispered Charlie.

Joey considered the possibilities. "Maybe she's into kinky stuff ... or has a weird fetish or something. Hey maybe she needs to look at photos of two birds doing it ... to get her juices flowing! She's probably got loads of pics of emu's and kookaburras and stuff on her laptop."

The very idea made Charlie laugh out loud. "I wish I could be a fly on the wall in there."

"Ewww Charlie ... really? That says a lot about you, y'know."

Charlie gave her a look that said _'Ha ha very funny ... smart alec.' _

"No not THAT! I mean ... just to see who Jessie is. What does she look like? Where does she come from? She's not from Summer Bay .. that's for sure."

They waited for almost half an hour for Ash's lover to arrive, but saw no-one.

"She must be in there already," said Joey. "Probably has her own key!"

Charlie agreed. Their investigation could go no further, unless they were prepared to wait until Ash and the mystery woman emerged from the motel room. That might not be until the next morning. Charlie started the engine and drove them back to the diner for the cup of coffee that they had hastily forgotten all about.

------x-------

The Diner was busy at 9.30 a.m. Colleen was on duty, but her concentration was constantly disturbed by the sight of Charlie and Joey sitting close together at one of the tables, giggling. She had customers to serve, who were beginning to get annoyed at her lack of attention, but she could barely take her eyes off the women for more than a few seconds. She didn't even think about how happy they looked together. All she could see were two members of the same sex, together. Her life had been very sheltered. She was itching to go and talk to them, just to get some more juicy gossip, but the line of new diners kept on getting longer.

Charlie moved her hand discretely across the table. Joey clutched at her fingers. They stroked one another's skin so gently that it tickled.

"What time do you finish work tonight," asked Joey.

"Six ... then I'm all yours," teased Charlie.

Joey grinned and moved in close for a kiss, before quickly realising where they were and pulling back. She slid her free hand underneath the table and placed it on Charlie's leg, caressing her inner thigh gently. 'Shall we go out for a proper walk later? We haven't done that in ages."

Charlie loved the idea, and loved the touch of Joey's hand running along her leg. "Sure."

Joey was due at the Blaxland very soon. She looked at the time and stood up.

"I better go. See you later."

Before she could stop herself she blew Charlie a kiss. Her eyes met with Colleen's moments later. Colleen's eagle eyes had seen everything. Joey felt a little uncomfortable at the look she was getting from her. Charlie noticed and turned around to look at the older woman. Colleen flinched and went back to her work, outnumbered in the staring contest.

"Don't worry about her, Jo."

Joey's eyes remained fixed on the town gossip as she worked. "I'm not worried. But just so's you know ... some one of these days I'm gonna go up there and kiss her right on the lips. That'll stop her gawking at us."

Charlie giggled. "Or give her a heart attack."

They gazed at one another one last time, and bid a silent goodbye. Charlie waved as Joey left. Work didn't start for Charlie for another hour, so she stayed on to finish her coffee. She gazed dreamily out of the window. Joey was still very much on her mind. She wanted to take her boat trip sometime soon, but knew that Joey would be so nervous if she were to be there, watching her. Besides, she had only just begun her new job, so she would take the trip whenever Joey was ready and confident enough to have on board.

She considered arriving at the Blaxland incognito, and the mental image she pictures of herself wearing a hat, big dark sunglasses and a moustache made her smile. It seemed so ludicrous ... but fun! _A moustache?_

Her train of though was interrupted by a familiar car parking outside. _Uh oh_, she thought. It was Ash's car. If she were coming to the diner, she'd have to talk to her alone, knowing what she knew. Would she be able to hide her feelings about it? She shifted nervously in her chair.

Ash walked in and spotted her immediately. Charlie swallowed hard as she approached.

"Hi Charlie. I'm so glad to see you. I was wondering if you could help me."

Charlie didn't like the sound of it already.

"The University has just given me the name of a location that I'm supposed to check out before I leave ... but I've never heard of it."

Ash opened the notebook in her and and read the name she'd scribbled down. "We've had a report this morning from a man in ... ehh ... Hannity Close ... in ... ehh ... damn I can't read my own writing."

"Well you are a doctor ... what do you expect?" said Charlie with a smirk.

Ash acknowledged with a grin. "Oooh cheeky ... I like it. Y'know ... most people usually can't wait much longer than five minutes before telling me that joke. I like your restraint. Very refreshing." She looked back at her notes. "It's in Mangrove River ... at least I think that's what it says. Do you know where that is?"

Charlie knew exactly where it was, but was reluctant to say yes. What if Ash asked her to accompany her again, as she had done before. Joey would freak out! However, she also didn't want to lie to her.

"Ehh ... yes .. its a few miles away from here," she replied. "I can give you directions if you like." Charlie hoped her offer would be the end of it.

"Yeah that'd be great," enthused Ash. "Or ... you could come with me. I swear I won't take up much of your time ... and I'll make it worth your while ... somehow." She smiled and raised her eyebrow, awaiting Charlie's response.

"Erm ... I don't have time, Ash ... sorry," said Charlie, hoping she would buy it.

"Gee that's too bad. Could've been fun, you know! Just you and me ... in the long grass ... again." She winked at her.

Charlie blinked hard. She didn't know how to take Ash sometimes. Was she joking or serious? After yesterday's detective work she was more convinced of the latter.

"Do you have a piece of paper? I can draw you a map."

--------x--------

"I KNEW IT!" cried Joey as soon as Charlie told her about her encounter with Ash earlier that morning. "I knew as soon as she got you on your own again she'd try to slither her way into your pants ... with her long legs and her come-to-bed eyes ... and her perfect teeth and funny jokes."

Charlie's eyes widened at Joey's description. "Joey ... I'm not interested in her," she said, trying to reassure her. "But I'm starting to think YOU ARE!"

They looked at one another for a few moments, before bursting into laughter. Joey knew Charlie wasn't being serious.

They continued their walk back along the beach. Charlie hoped they would not meet Ash again today. The woman seemed to be more omnipresent than a god lately, and Joey sounded as though she was ready to take her on. They were getting close to their apartment.

"Y'know ... when Ash told us about losing Ellen, I felt really sorry for her," said Joey. "Don't get me wrong ... it was a terrible thing to happen to anyone ... but after yesterday ... and today ... it got me thinking. If Ellen was the love of her life ... then what's Laura to her?"

Charlie considered her words. It was a very good question!

They were minutes from the apartment when they both spotted the woman they hoped they would not see. _Oh crap_, thought Charlie. _This could get ugly._

"Joey ... please don't say or do anything ... _PLEASE!" _begged Charlie.

Ash walked towards them, but hadn't recognised them from a distance. As soon as she came closer she saw them.

"Hi guys."

"Hi Ash," said Charlie.

"Ash ... we need to get something straight," began Joey, pointing her finger at her.

_Oh no_, thought Charlie. _Here she goes._

Ash looked at her in confusion.

"Charlie is with ME ... okay? She's not interested in sleeping with you. And anyway ... don't you have ENOUGH girlfriends already? We know all about the woman you're seeing here ... we heard you talking to her." Joey's voice was quite calm considering the seriousness of her words. Charlie half-expected her to be screaming.

"Hang on a sec ... WHAT? What are you talking about?"

"We heard you on the phone to her ... Jessie ... so don't even TRY to deny it."

Ash looked at her and began to giggle.

"HEY IT'S NOT FUNNY!" said a now irate Joey. How could the woman laugh at a time like this?

"Ladies ... I'm sorry for laughing. I'm not doing what you thi-"

She cut herself off mid-sentence, remembering that she had some things in her bag that would help explain. She reached inside to get her purse. Opening it up, she took out a small photograph and showed it to them. It was a photograph of her with a woman.

"This is Laura."

Charlie and Joey looked at the photo.

"Oh my god ..." exclaimed Joey, " shes _gorgeous_!"

Charlie threw Joey a disapproving look, accompanied by a swift dig with her elbow. "Hey ... you're not supposed to say stuff like that out loud."

The photograph of the beautiful brunette woman smiling, with her arms around Ash suddenly made them doubt all they had come to believe about her.

"And ... _this_ ... is Jessie," she said, taking out another photograph and handing it to them. "She's our daughter." Ash's voice was filled with pride.

They looked at the small image of a pretty little girl with blonde curly hair. She looked about six years old, and she was wearing a beautiful pink dress.

Charlie's embarrassment was obvious and she cringed. "You never mentioned that you had a daughter," she said, her cheeks glowing red.

"You never asked."

"Oh god, Ash ... we're so sorry ... and stupid," said Joey. She was feeling just as bad as Charlie.

"Not to worry. Easy mistake. Well ... not really ... but I suppose these things can happen. It's not impossible. Wires get crossed and so on."

Joey tried to explain. "We just thought that ... after you told us about Ellen ... and we heard you talking to ... umm ... Jessie ... that ... you know?" The terrible feeling inside her was growing. The more she said, the more she realised how wrong she'd been.

"I understand," said Ash. "You guys put two and two together ... and got three hundred and forty-seven! Look ... no one will ever compare to Ellen ... she was the love of my life ... but she's gone ... and I had to move on. Laura is amazing ... and she's the only woman I've ever wanted to be with since. You two aren't TOTALLY irresistible, y'know!"

Charlie and Joey looked at one another. Ash's last words had hit home more so than anything else she had said.

"I love Laura," continued Ash. "And I love my little Jessie. In fact ... I'd like you guys to meet her ... well sort of meet her. If you come back to my motel room ... ehh ... I promise I won't touch either of you, by the way," she added, holding her hands up in innocence, "... then you can talk to her and see her on my laptop. I've been keeping in contact with them on messenger. My motel room isn't great ... but it was the only one I could find with an internet connection."

Suddenly it all became clear. The text from yesterday hadn't been from Jessie. It had been from Laura, and Ash had gone back to her room with her laptop to talk to her online - and _see_ her on webcam. '_I need to see you now.'_

"You have a very beautiful daughter," said Charlie. It was the only thing she could think of to say. Her face was still red, and burning hot.

"I'm sorry I misjudged you," said Joey, offering her hand.

Ash accepted her gesture. "I kinda knew all along that you were suspicious of me, Joey. And I've told myself many times that the wine thing was just an accident."

"It was!" assured Joey immediately. "I'm really sorry."

Ash smiled at them both. "You two are a lot of fun ... you know that? I can't ever remember a field trip quite as ... eventful ... as this one. I've gotta go now," she said, backing away from them as she spoke. "There's a horde of naked beauties waiting for me at my hotel room. And you know me ... mustn't keep them waiting. Gotta go teach them about ... the birds ... and the bees." She winked at them. "But I'd love to go to dinner with you again before I leave. Is it a date?"

They both smiled. "Sure," they said together.

--------x-------

Charlie and Joey had decided to do some late-night relaxation on their sofa, wrapped in each other's arms. They had spent one last evening with Ash at the fish restaurant in Yabbie Creek, and she had been funnier than ever. She had teased them mercilessly about their mistake, and they'd had to sit there and take it in the humorous way it was intended. They felt they deserved a lifetime of ribbing about it. Luckily Ash hadn't taken offence at all. She'd told them it would take a lot more than a misjudgment of character to upset her. She'd began her drive back to Sydney that evening to go home to her own beautiful family. Before she left, she took them to her motel room and they said hi to Laura and cute little Jessie. Ash had introduced them as 'good friends.' They'd miss her.

Sleep overcame them at around 11:45 p.m., right there on the sofa. Charlie had roused with a sore neck. She awoke a very groggy Joey and dragged her into bed, helping her undress. She thought it felt strange to be undressing Joey with the intention of only going to sleep. She wasn't used to doing that. They fell asleep in each other's arms within minutes.

--------x--------

The next morning – 8:30 a.m. Both women busied themselves getting ready for work. They heard a knock at the door. Joey opened it. It was a man with a clipboard.

"Delivery for ...," he said, pausing to check the list, "Joey Collins and Charlie Duckton? Is that right?" He scratched his head, wondering about the unusual last name.

"It's Buckton," corrected Charlie.

"I've got a delivery for you both. Shall I bring it in?"

Joey looked puzzled. "What is it? Who is it from? We haven't ordered anything!"

"I was told that if you asked either of those questions then I have to tell you to just wait and see." He grinned.

Charlie and Joey looked at one another.

"So can I bring it in?"

"Err ... okay," said Charlie. She was now very curious.

The delivery man disappeared, arriving back moments later with a large elongated box, wrapped in gift paper. On the front was a huge bow, decorated with feathers. He set it down and handed an envelope to Charlie. Joey gave him the signature he needed and he left.

They looked at the envelope. On the front it said:-

'To Joey Collins

and

Charlie Duckton'

The same mistake again. Charlie looked at the name, and then to the feathers on the bow, and suddenly realised who it was from. She opened the envelope. There was a short note inside. She read it aloud to Joey:-

_'Hi girls. I'm guessing by the way you two are still all over _

_each other like a rash on a baby's tooshie that_

_you don't have anything at home yet to distract you - the _

_way the rest of us do._

_So this is my parting gift. I'm sure it'll look great _

_in your new apartment. Thank you for _

_being so ... entertaining. I am proud to call both _

_of you friends._

_Love _

_Ash xxx '_

Joey walked over to the box and ripped open the gift paper, revealing a brand new flatscreen TV.

"OH MY GOD," she exclaimed.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Charlie, her mouth agape. She came closer to look at the box.

"Wow. This must have cost a FORTUNE!" cried Joey. Her face was filled with excitement.

"This is just TOO MUCH," said Charlie, shaking her head in disbelief. "We don't deserve THIS! We have to send her a thank you card ... or something."

"I can't believe it. After all the crap we said to her ... I said to her," she corrected herself, "how can she still be so kind to us?"

"I guess it's just the kind of person she is, Jo."

She slipped behind Joey, and wrapped her arms around her waist. Joey swung around to face her.

They kissed.

"So," began Charlie, "it's almost the weekend. Got any plans for later?"

Joey smiled at her and nodded her head in the direction of the bedroom.

Charlie grinned at the suggestion and squeezed Joey tight, pulling her so close that their lips almost touched. "We don't have to wait until later for _that_, do we?" she whispered. "I've got a little time to kill. Have you?"

Joey kissed her tenderly. "For you ... always!"

-------- x THE END ... OF MOONLIGHT SHADOW 4 x --------

**Author's final note: ** Hi everyone. Many thanks for your continued dedication to reading the Moonlight Shadow saga, and thank you also for your very kind comments and emails. It's been a lot of fun to write.

I'm aware that I may have alienated some of the more die-hard fluff fans in episode 4, however, it was a risk I had to take for the sake of artistic integrity. I do hope that I've given you a story that reflects some of the real difficulties encountered in any relationship (albeit a little more dramatically than would happen in your average partnership.) Jealousy can be a bitch, eh? I also hope that I've portrayed this episode in a humorous way, so as not to be too distressing to read. I thought that a jealous Joey would be really cute and funny, and I didn't want to give too much away about Ash ... that'd just spoil it!

The character of Ash was quite meaningful to me ... so it was very interesting to read how your opinions of her changed throughout the story. Some hated her ... then liked her ... then loved her. Other's warmed to her a little. And some of you just didn't like her no matter what she did! It was kinda fun to observe.

This will be my last episode for a while. I need to go off to do other things for a bit, but I hope to be back sometime in the future, if you guys want another episode, that is!

Take care

FirstCenturyBC xxx


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